


No Risk, No Reward

by Classic_Vision



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Adventure, Drama, F/M, Gambling, Organized Crime, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2018-12-05 11:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11577018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Classic_Vision/pseuds/Classic_Vision
Summary: Gambled money, a mysterious girl, and the rush of his life. It's enough to make Finn want to risk it all.





	1. Temptation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modern day casino AU. Loosely based on the movie 21
> 
> Shout-out to the people at Finnrey Creative Wednesdays for helping me get back to writing.

It was the perfect night at the casino. The crowd was just small enough to find a table but large enough to blend in, just the way they planned it.

Finn wiped his palms on his pants one last time as he watched people enter the casino from his backseat window.

“Ok let’s not spend too much time in there,” he said to the rest of the car. “Let’s just hit our marks and get out.”

“Pfft. Lighten up will ya. This is what we been waiting for,” the driver said.

“He’ll lighten up once his pockets are heavy,” the passenger followed before clapping his hands together. “Time to get paid fellas!”

‘Nines’ and ‘Zeros’ they called themselves. The two of them were more excited about this job than their boss, so much that they actually gave themselves code names to match the spirt of the job.

Finn shook his head and look back out the window. The job should be simple, they practiced and prepared for weeks. All they had to do was play the game the way they were taught and money would fall in their laps. Still, given the crew he has to work with, Finn didn’t feel so confident.

He turned back to the group and though he was nervous, his voice was firm. Just like always.

“Just remember to look realistic. More wins draws more eyes.”

Zeros waved off his warning. “Yeah yeah. A comfortable ten stacks and I’m out.”

“Ten? The mark is five a piece,” Finn stated.

Zeros shrugged his shoulders. “The way I see it, for as big as a cut that Phasma’s taking, I’m just evening things out.”

“Makes sense to me,” Nines laughed, with too much excitement for Finn’s liking. “Tonight we gonna be rolling in green! As Long as someone doesn’t screw it up,” he nodded to the back seat.

Finn turned to his left where their final member sat.

‘Slip’, Nines decided to call him, had been quiet the whole car ride for good reason. He was smart enough to be apart of the job but not smooth enough. During training with Phasma, Slip would from time to time mess up and lip his counts. It was made clear that he was to tag along tonight and not actually participate.

“All the more reason to stick to the plan,” Finn said.

“For the last time, I’ll be fine!” Slip finally burst out. “Let’s just get paid already.”

“Yes sir!” Nines shouted and sprang out the car followed by the others.

Finn did his best to maintain his composure. He knew it was a bad idea to be apart of this. But money has way of tempting even the most conservative of people.

* * *

It was the kind of crowd you normally saw on a late Friday night at the casino. Women were all dolled up in dresses and heels. Most men wore button downs, some more casual than others. Finn’s group were some of the very few who wore suits and ties, they said they wanted to look like high rollers. Finn however, decided they drew too much attention and kept it simple with nice black jeans and his favorite brown leather jacket. He caught some flack from the guys on the way over but he didn’t care, the last thing he wanted was to look fancy in jail.

“Alright.” Finn spoke up once they were inside. “There’s a table with a few people and an open chair. Let’s scout it out.”

“Scuse me,” Zeros and Nines said, bumping past Finn and quickly made their way over to the table with Slip close behind.

Finn took a deep breath of frustration. He took a brief moment to pad the side of his jacket, feeling the hard steel on the inside. It was something he was never planning to use, Phasma just gave one to all of them out of defense. However, him and Phasma had different definitions of defense.

Moving forward, Finn walked past the endless slot machines hearing the mix of levers being pulled, dings from the machines, and the groans from the players. He made his way up to join his group at their destination. The Black Jack table.

It was easy to see why this table was so popular. The combination of a beautiful female dealer and drunk guys clapping and laughing so loud at each others cards was enough to make everyone in the casino think they were winning big, even though they weren’t. Finn couldn’t tell if they were losing more money on their drinks or their cards

“Alright one chair. So who’s up first?” Zeros asked the group.

“Give it a minute,” Finn whispered. “Watch their hands this round.”

After each player placed their chips forward, Finn’s eyes zoned in on the dealer pulling from the deck. In real time, the cards were placed so quickly that most people wouldn’t be able to keep up, but Finn could count so fast that he knew the hands better than the dealer.

After each incorrect decision, the dealer took the losing chips from the players along with their cards. Finn was about to address his group when something caught his ears.

“What the hell I didn’t even get to finish my hand!”

Finn turned to the voice at the table next to them. A girl, who looked to be about his age, just lost to the dealer’s Black Jack. Obviously she didn’t know the rules. The house always wins.

Once her chips were swiped away, the girl looked down in disbelief. She had nothing left. Now speechless, she grabbed her backpack and stormed off. Her backpack kept Finn’s eyes on her. It was an unusual small circle bag with orange and white stripes, similar to the design of her blue and white stripped sneakers at the bottom of her jeans and gray jacket. This girl clearly didn’t hang at casinos.

“Got the count?” Slip whispered.

“Uh yeah,” Finn replied, forced back to the task at hand. “Yeah pretty simple.”

Finn turned back to the table in front of him but only for a moment. Maybe because she was a standout from the crowd or because of the scene she made, but for some reason Finn felt the need to look back at that girl. When he did, he saw she made her way over to the bar, not to take a seat but crouched down at wall near it. She checked her phone for a moment before dropping her head in her hands.

Something Finn found out not too long ago is that there are only two types of gamblers; those who play out of fun and those who play out of desperation. This poor girl seemed to be the ladder, but then again, so was he.

“Alright game ti-”

Zeros was cut off by Finn who pulled him back and took the open seat himself and dropped a twenty on the table.

“Well,” Zeros laughed. “Look who’s coming alive.”

Finn paid him no mind. After seeing that girl, he made a decision. If he was going to go through with this plan then he was going to at least do one good deed out of it. He was going to win that girl her money back.

* * *

Finn scooped up his winning chips and stood up.

“I’m out,” he said to the dealer before leaving the table.

“Already?” Zeros asked.

“Yeah you guys hold it down. I’ll be back.”

Finn was making his way over to the bar only to see girl check her phone again before she got up and walked away. He tried to keep up with her but she seemed to be in a hurry.

After he realized they were at the back end of the casino, Finn began to feel a little weird about chasing this person he didn’t know but, he didn’t go through the trouble of winning the chips for nothing.

He turned the last corner to see the girl had disappeared. All that was in sight was an isolated door that led outside.

Finn wondered who would go through all that trouble just to leave the casino when she could have just left out the proper exit. It was sign he was ready to take to head back.

But something about that girl, the door, the vibe of the atmosphere, it was tempting.

Against his better judgement, Finn walked up to the door. He opened it slightly but stopped when he heard her voice again.

“I told you I’ll get the money!”

“You said that last time. Boss is running out of patience,” a deeper masculine voice responded.

Finn pushed the door open a little more to see the girl. In front of her were two large men.

“Well tell him to wait some more and stop bothering me with goons! I’ll call him when I have the money,” the girl snapped back.

She was halfway turned when one of the men grabbed her arm and pulled her violently.

“Who do you think your talking to?”

That was enough for Finn to burst open the door and run out. But as quick as he did, the girl already flipped the man over her shoulder and on to the ground. The other man ran forward just meet her foot in his face and found himself on the ground.

“Damn.”

The girl looked over to see Finn. Out of instinct she took a battle stance.

“Whoa whoa I’m on your side.” he waved his hands in defense.

Surprised, the girl dropped her fists and Finn began to relax until something caught his eye.

“Get out the way!” Finn yelled.

The girl jumped back in time to dodge one of the men’s strike. When he got to both his feet he revealed a switchblade.

“Drop it!”

All attention shifted to Finn who had his gun pointed at the man with the blade.

The man complied and dropped his blade with his hands up. His partner did the same when he made it back to his feet.

“Take it easy buddy. We weren’t gonna hurt nobody.”

Finn’s heart was pounding and his mind was racing but his hand was steady and his voice was firm.

“Then get lost. Now!”

On his demand, the two men ran to their car in haste. When they drove off, Finn relaxed and put his gun away, thankful things didn’t get any worse.

“Why did you do that?”

Finn turned back to the girl. He let a few moments pass before answering, letting the vibe die down a bit. The thing was, he didn’t really have a complicated answer.

“I don’t know. You just looked like you needed help,” he said, honestly. “Oh uh, sorry about the gun. I hope I didn’t scare you. I promise I wasn’t going to shoot. I just wanted to protect you from his knife.”

He did his best to ensure her and it looked to work somewhat. Still the girl wore a look that was a mix of comfort and confusion.

“Right. Thanks,” she said.

“Are you in any trouble? Maybe you should call the police.”

“No! I mean, um, no. No but thanks. It’s really not as bad as it looks. I just owe money to a loan shark. Once he has his money I’ll be done with him and his goons.”

“Right...”

Silence fell between them, not out of awkwardness but more out of comfort, letting the last of the adrenaline rush disappear.

“Oh,” Finn spoke up, “Here.”

He pulled out his winning chips and handed them over to her. She stared down at them in shock.

“That’s actually why I’m here,” Finn began, “After you made that scene, I won a couple hands and figured I’d help you out. But by the time I caught up with you, you were already talking to those punks.”

She looked up from the chips in her hand to ask a simple question. “Why?”

Finn pondered for a moment, but once again didn’t have much of an answer.

“Just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Believe me, I didn’t see any of this coming,” he laughed, trying to ease the tension.

She gave a soft smile. “This is more than what I lost.”

“Yeah well, I wasn’t sure how much you actually lost so I figured that was a safe amount” he gave another short laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Plus, maybe it will help with your situation.”

The girl nodded. “It does,” she said with a slight chuckle. Finn didn’t know if it was because of his awkwardness or out of relief but he was glad to see her finally relax.

“So... you’re Robin Hood?” she teased.

“Obviously,” he said, sticking out his chest. Though he didn’t know if it came out as smooth as he thought it would. After another chuckle he decided to just be honest.

“Hey look, everyone needs to catch a break right? I’m just glad I could help. Um, just be careful out there alright.”

He walked back to the door and reached for the handle, ready to get back to his night and put this event behind him.

“Wait!”

He looked back at the girl. She walked up to him hesitantly.

“Um, how about a drink on me? I mean you gave me more money than what I need so it’s the least I can do.”

This was crazy. Guns and knives were just drawn a moment ago. All signs of this girl pointed to danger. It was too much to risk, yet he still said...

“Sure. I’d like that.”

The girl returned his smile. “I don’t know your name.”

“Finn. What’s yours?”

“I’m Rey.”

With a new vibe in the air, Finn opened the door and gestured inside.

“Well then, right this way Rey.”

Temptation. It’s powerful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Already caught in a situation, Finn finds himself into another. How will the cards unfold? 
> 
> More to come


	2. Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was beta'd by @the-bi-writer. Great edits and suggestions that help make this chapter so much better.

As Finn and Rey moved toward the bar, the music got louder. The bar was busy, but most people got their drinks and went back to gambling, or they ordered through a cocktail waitress, so the seats were wide open for Finn and Rey.

Finn took a moment to scan the area. Cocktail waitresses left the bar and dispersed throughout the casino. The music kept the party vibe throughout the building, but still allowed the dings from the slot machines to be heard just enough to draw attention to people walking by.

As he continued to scan, he saw his group now at work. By the looks of it, Zeros was the only one of them playing, and had just won a hand. Meanwhile Nines was ordering from a waitress and Slip was playing it cool, probably keeping a lookout. So far so good.

Finn’s eyes finally landed on Rey. He was once again reminded how much she stood out from everyone else in casino. Yet, looking at her up close, he couldn’t complain. Her hair was tied but still held a style, she wore no makeup but her face still shined, only she was looking at him kind of weird...

“Did you hear me?”

Finn shook his head, awakening from his thoughts, “Sorry, what?”

Rey gave him another weird look but chuckled. “I said order whatever you like.”

“Oh right. Uh, rum and coke,” he said to the bartender.

“I’ll have the same,” Rey followed up.

The bartender went to work grabbing glasses and bottles to fix the drinks. Perhaps it was the music or being away from the gambling crowd, but Finn began to feel better. His nerves about the job were now replaced with anxiousness for getting to know this new girl, a mysterious one at that.

“Uh sorry about that,” Finn said, embarrassed, realizing he was starring. “I was just thinking about how you handled those guys earlier. You a Blackbelt or something?”

Rey smiled at that. “I do take karate but I’m a Redbelt actually.”

“Oh...”

“Well don’t look so disappointed,” she laughed.

“I’m not,” he laughed too. “Trust me, I was impressed.”

Her smile came back. “Yeah?”

Their glasses were placed in front of them. Finn took a sip from his, waiting until the bartender walked away before continuing the conversation.“Yeah I wish more people knew how to fight,” he said. “It would stop all the weapons.”

When Rey didn’t respond, Finn looked over to see Rey glance down at the bottom of his jacket. She quickly avoided his eyes and sipped from her glass.

“I really don’t use it,” Finn addressed her thoughts. “It’s for protection. I’ve had to deal with goons too, they don’t fight fair.”

“Pfft. Tell me about it,” Rey agreed.

Finn paused for a moment. He knew what he wanted to ask, but didn’t know if it was proper to do so. This girl was surprisingly comfortable and he didn’t want to ruin the moment. Still, he needed to know.

“How did you get involved with those guys you were fighting in the back?”

Rey finished her drink and placed the glass on the counter, keeping her eyes on it longer than necessary.

“I told you. Loan shark.”

She didn’t want to talk about it. Finn decided it was fair enough and didn’t press the issue.

“I like your outfit,” he blurted out.

Rey looked up at him surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah it stands out. I like that,” he admitted.

“Oh, thanks,” she said simply, though her blush didn’t go unnoticed by Finn. “I actually wasn’t planning on coming here tonight. That’s why I wasn’t really dressed to impress.”

“Still did,” Finn said under his breath before he finished his drink.He almost hoped Rey didn’t hear it. A pause went by before he got the courage to look up at her again. When he did, she asked a simple question.

“How about another drink?”

* * *

 

Unlike the first drink, the second one took a long time to finish. Conversation seemed to flow naturally between the two of them. Finn was relieved. He hadn’t planned on meeting anyone tonight, especially under the circumstances, but he was glad he did. He and Rey got along easily, and she completely changed his mood from tense to relaxed.

“Well not to be cheap, but I do sort of need the rest of this money,” Rey admitted. “But I do like talking to you.”

She wanted to hang out more and so did Finn, but he had a job to do.

He looked behind them at the blackjack tables and was faced with a decision. He could leave this girl that he just met and get back to work, or he could up the risk. It was against all that he was taught - and even preached - but when he turned back to Rey, he felt it again. Temptation.

“Well, I can buy us some more drinks if you give me a couple minutes,” Finn said with a nod toward the blackjack table behind them.

Rey’s eyes followed his gaze, and she looked back at him with a challenging smirk. “Think you’re gonna get lucky, Finn?”

“Part of luck is confidence, Rey.” He matched her smile and kept his eyes locked, making sure he showed no signs of the bluff that she was obviously looking for.

“Alright,” Rey hopped out her seat. “Let’s see what you got.”

As they walked over, Finn didn’t know if he was in over his head or actually having fun. If all went well he could do his job and spend more time with Rey, but if he failed then he lost everything. He knew he was risking too much, but that’s what gambling is: a game of risk.

Before arriving at his chosen table, Finn looked over to where his group was. Zeros, Nines, and Slip were all sitting at the same table now. Each of them had a lot of chips and had now drawn a small crowd. They had attention, but not too much. Finn made a mental note to keep his eye on them.

“Looks like you’ll have to wait the next round,” Rey said as Finn’s attention shifted back to the table in front of him.

“No problem,” he replied, now zoned in on the cards that were passed out to the players at the table.

Once a new game started, Finn joined in with Rey standing close by. The dealer passed out the new hands to the players and Finn looked at his with confidence.

_King, 5_

_Hit_

_King, 5, 6_

Twenty one. First hand was a strong win for Finn, but not for the others. As the dealer slid the chips toward him, Finn turned to Rey, eager to see her reaction.

She grinned but still shrugged her shoulders. “Not impressed”

“Twenty one from the jump. That’s a big deal, Rey,” Finn stated before turning back to the game.

For the second hand he decided to double up his chips. The cards were spread around the table and Finn had eyes on every one of them. Based on what he saw, he quickly decided how he would play his hand.

_Queen, 4_

_Hit_

_Queen, 4, 4,_

_Stay_

He beat the dealer’s cards. The dealer scooped up the other player’s chips and handed Finn his pile of new ones.

Finn turned again to Rey. When she noticed Finn grinning at her she straightened up her posture.

“Okay ‘Big Deal’. You got my attention.”

Finn was feeling confident and ready to play, until something caught his eye at his group’s table. Some older guy in a suit had walked up to Slip. Finn turned back to his table for a moment, now distracted.

_2,1_

_Hit_

Finn could hardly stay focused and he felt his heart pound every time he shifted his eyes back and forth between the two tables. The man had just walked Slip to a back room, most likely security.

_2,1,8_

_Hit_

But Zeros and Nines were still at the table.

_2,1,8,7_

_Stay_

Another win.

“Let’s cash out,” Finn said. He took Rey’s hand and moved them in haste. He gripped the chips tight in his other hand, nowhere near the mark he needed to make for Phasma. But that didn’t matter now. Security had Slip and there is a chance the whole operation is compromised.

“Any reason we’re moving so fast?” Rey asked.

“Oh sorry. Just eager to cash out.”

“Well can’t say I blame you. You were on fire.”

After Finn exchanged his chips for the money, he was ready to leave the scene completely. As soon as he turned around, he saw security push through the large crowd by Zeros and Nines. They were caught too.

Finn took Rey’s hand again and moved as quick as he could. He didn’t miss Zeros’ glare. Finn knew him and Rey were not safe.

“Wait! Finn, slow down,” Rey complained.

“We have to go.”

“What?”

“Trust me.”

“Do you know those people?” Rey asked, referring to Zeros and Nines pleading with the security.

“Yes and we’re in trouble. I have to get you out of here,” Finn replied.

“What?”

They finally made it outside. Finn tried to keep his wits, but his thoughts were all over the place. He still managed to keep some composure for Rey’s sake.

“They saw you with me. Here, go to your car,” he pointed to the parking lot with one hand while signaling a cab with the other.

“I didn’t take a car.”

“What!?” Finn yelled. Now he was really worried.

“Finn, what’s going on?” Rey demanded.

The cab pulled up to the curb of the casino. Finn looked back inside the building one last time. Two security guards were making their way right toward him. What made matters worse was now he got Rey involved. He was forced to make a decision.

“Look, Rey, I promise I’ll explain everything later, okay? For now trust me. We need to get in the cab.”

She looked at him with a mix of shock and anger. He knew she didn’t trust him and he couldn’t blame her. However, her eyes changed when she glanced behind him at the incoming security. Something about them changed her mind because next thing Finn knew, she crouched down and got in the backseat.

Finn didn’t have time to think about it; he just followed Rey into the backseat.

“Alright, go!” Before the confused driver  could ask Finn his destination, Finn shouted out, “Doesn’t matter where, just go.”

The driver began to complain while Finn saw the security come out of the casino. Without thinking, he pulled out the wad of cash he just won and threw it at the driver frantically.

“Here! Just Drive!”

A second later the cab took off, barely escaping the scene.


	3. Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was once again beta'd by the-bi-writer. Thanks for all the help

Finn had escaped, but he was still in trouble.

The night had gone just as he had feared. His group couldn’t be trusted to do the job and more importantly, they couldn’t be trusted with information.

_Crap. How did security find me out? I wasn’t even at the same table as the group._

Someone had talked and Finn didn’t know who, but the guards were coming after him so there was a chance they’ll find out his identity. And if his identity was known, then there was a chance Phasma’s might be known too, and if that was true then he was in real trouble.

Finn felt a pull on his jacket but by the time he turned he was already staring down his own gun. Behind it was determined Rey.

“Who are you?”

Finn put his hands up slowly. He saw that her hold on the gun was professional, but her hands were shaking. He could tell she had held a gun before, but never fired at a real target.

_She won’t shoot._

“Rey, stay calm. You know who I am.”

“No!” she shouted. “You were with those guys earlier, the ones who just got in trouble. You saw it happening and you pulled us both out. Who are you and what were you doing in there?”

Rey was frantic but she was right. Finn didn’t mean to bring her into this, but he had. He owed her the truth.

“We were counting cards. Security must have caught on and came after us. You’re not in any danger, I was just trying to not get busted. You’re safe, just put the gun down.”

“You!” she turned her head toward the driver. “Pull over.”

“Where?” he asked in panic.

“Doesn’t matter. Jus-”

Her words were cut off when she felt Finn snatch the gun from her hands.

Rey threw her hands up and edged back against the door. The driver pleaded from the front while trying to keep his eyes on the road and the car in one lane.

“Everybody calm down! I’m not gonna shoot.” Finn yelled, pointing his gun away from them to try and ease the commotion. “Hey man, just pull over right here in this lot, okay?” he said to the driver with a lower voice.

The driver was shook, but he complied. Still, all of Finn’s focus was on Rey. He could see her fear, yet she still kept her composure.

When the car came to a stop they all exited slowly. The dim yellow light from drug store was the only thing that allowed for sight in the pitch darkness. Finn made sure the other two were looking when he put the gun away in attempt to ease the concerns on their faces.

“Look I’m not going to hurt anybody.” Finn assured them. “But I need this car. Okay?”

Both Rey and the cab driver stood looking stunned and unsure of what to do.

“Again, I’m sorry this happened, but I had to get away.” Finn said. He walked to the front of the car and pointed to the scattered dollars in the front seat. “That money is yours, both of you can have it. I just need the car.”

The driver saw Rey make no move toward the money and decided to swipe it all up for himself before running off.

Finn walked over to the driver side door but noticed Rey hadn’t moved, or took her eyes off him.

“Rey you really should go. I panicked back there but you’re not involved. You should be safe.”

She wasn’t sold. She stood her ground and stared at him as if she was trying to read his face and analyze his words.

“What’s really going on Finn?” Rey finally asked.

Finn sighed. “I told you. We wer-”

“I’m not stupid.” she interrupted. “Counting cards isn’t illegal. You’re acting like you’re running for your life.”

Finn took a deep breath. He knew she was right, but he didn’t have time to tell the whole story.“It’s deeper than that. I’m in a bad situation with some bad people. I can’t afford to get caught.”

Rey was about ask more when the sound of ringing cut her off. Finn pulled his phone out his pocket and stared at the screen for a moment before he pressed ignore.

“Look, I gotta go.” Finn said, stuffing his phone back his pocket. “I can drop you off somewhere as long as it’s not too far,” he offered, figuring it was the least he could do.

Suddenly, more ringing went off. This time Rey pulled out her phone. Same as Finn, she ignored the call. Finn noticed the coincidence but didn’t have time to address it.

“Rey, I’m sorry, but I have to go. What are you going to do?”

Rey looked back at street and then down at the cab, contemplating her decision. One thing was clear to Finn, she was more concerned with that phone call than she was with him.

Next thing Finn knew, Rey ran around and got in the passenger seat.

He was surprised that she got in, but too much had happened for Finn to digest. He had to go and he had to go now. He took a deep breath and started the engine.


	4. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the-bi-writer

The night went on in silence. The streets were empty as Finn drove the cab down the road giving the night it’s only sound. He kept the music off and tried to relax with the atmosphere and come to terms with everything that had just happened. In just a matter of hours Finn went from counting cards on a gambling job, to nearly getting caught, to being on the run in a stolen cab. It was as if all of his fears from when he accepted the job had become a reality, only this was worse. Now someone else was involved.

Once in awhile Finn would turn to see Rey was still awake, which she was. He was surprised that she had nothing to say, but then again he couldn’t blame her. He wondered if she was in shock by all of the commotion, so he continued to drive for awhile and didn’t bother her. Also he had to admit with the previous events, he was glad to have some peace, but he knew it couldn’t last.

“Hey we been driving for while now,” Finn said. “Where do you want to go?”

When he didn’t hear an answer, Finn turned to see Rey looking straight forward, perhaps lost in thought. He sighed, it was hard to be considerate and direct at times like this.

“I know this is crazy but that’s why I want to take you home,” he tried again. Still no response.

“Okay. Maybe a friend’s house?” he asked.

Nothing.

“Rey?”

“What’s going to happen to you?” Rey finally said. Finn wasn’t expecting that question.

“What?” he asked.

Rey looked over at him, seeming to now come out of her thoughts. Her eyes were serious but her voice held concern. “If you get caught, what’s going to happen to you?”

Finn considered the question, but tried not to think about the answer.

“Look, now’s not the time,” he replied.

“If it’s not security you’re afraid of then, it’s something else,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Or someone else?”

Finn could tell she was smart; those questions were all valid. He realized she had not thinking about getting home, but had been trying to figure out his situation. But the last thing he wanted was to get her further involved. “I’m just trying to take you home.”

“Who called you earlier?” Rey asked yet another question.

“Will you focus?” Finn snapped.

“You owe me an explanation. You kidnapped me!”

“Hey, I’m not the one who pointed a gun at you!”

“I’m...I’m sorry,” Rey said calmly. “I promise I wasn’t going to shoot.” she leaned on her hand against the window perplexed. “You had a gun and next thing I know security is chasing us. I thought I was in trouble.”

Finn sighed and lowered his voice. He knew arguing wasn’t the best thing to do with Rey right now. “Yeah, I guess I get it. Look don’t worry about it. But for what it’s worth, I’m not a bad guy.”

“I know,” Rey said to Finn’s surprise. “You still helped me back at the Casino, and you gave the guy all your cash. I’m just confused.”

If he was honest with himself, Finn was actually relieved to hear that. It was good to know that Rey at least didn’t feel threatened by him anymore. But he wondered why she still hadn’t made an effort to leave.

“Yeah I get it. I was on-” Finn was cut off by his phone ringing. He looks at the screen and saw the same caller as before. “Damn it!”

“What’s the matter?” Rey asked.

“It’s my boss.”

He put his phone away but Rey’s curiosity continued.

“Is that one of the bad people you were talking about before?” she asked.

“Yeah. She’s gonna want answers that I don’t have” Finn said.

“Why don’t you just **not** go if you are so worried?” Rey said, practically speaking Finn’s mind.

He sighed. “I have to. Plus I didn’t get caught so she can’t blame me...I hope.”

* * *

 

Finn pulled into the driveway of a large house. The house wasn’t anything fancy, just very spacious. It was wide enough that the property was standout amongst the neighbors yet still in an area secluded enough that you couldn’t find it without directions. The house to Finn represented Phasma, she liked to have her presence known but her business to be hidden.

Finn sat there for a moment staring at the building and contemplated. He looked over at Rey again, the girl he just met, who willingly followed him into his mess. He didn’t understand her, at first he felt that he had dragged her into his situation but since then he had offered a chance to leave and she didn’t take it. Finn wondered if maybe she had nowhere to go, maybe she didn’t want to be alone or maybe, she was just crazy. Either way, she was on with him Phasma’s ground and he didn’t want her to get hurt.

“Here,” he said holding the car keys up to her.

Rey looked at keys, obliviously surprised at his offer. But her reply was the bigger surprise.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Are you crazy?” Finn asked. “You have nothing to do with this.”

“Are **you** crazy?” Rey snapped back. “You can’t go in alone if these people are as bad make them out to be. And I’m not about to leave you stranded here with no car.”

Finn threw his head back against the seat and sighed heavily. “Rey, you don’t understand.”

“I’m not giving you a choice,” she said. She swiped the keys from his hand and bolted out of the car.

Finn cursed before getting out of the car and following her up to the house.

“Rey, Rey!” he pleaded her to stop. When she did they were already at the door. He noticed she didn’t look scared, almost as if she was determined to get in the house, “Okay. Just, just wait out here.”

Rey looked as if she was about to complain but instead she sighed. “Fine. Just be careful alright.”

Finn nodded, glad to have gotten her to listen. He edged her to side of the door out of sight before he knocked. When the door opened, he was met by two guards, as usual, who led him inside.

* * *

 

Finn didn’t have to walk far, down the hall and up to the double doors. He had been here too many times, and every time he told himself that he couldn’t wait till the day he never would have to step foot in this house again.

The guards opened the doors to reveal a dark room with light only surrounding a long table. On one side of the table was Phasma holding a deck of cards. On the other side of the table were a few young people most likely to be college students, same as always. The room gave Finn the creeps but Phasma once told him that she kept the scenery as such in order to help the players focus on the cards. He always thought she just wanted to keep the students intimidated, and if so, it worked.

“Finn,” Phasma addressed him in a monotone.

“You heard about what happened,” he said. It was a statement, not a question.

Phasma shuffled the cards at the same speed she spoke, deathly slow. “Busted on the first job.”

That voice brought familiar chills to Finn’s body, but he refused to let it show. “I told you they weren’t ready,” Finn said firmly.

“And I told **you** to keep them in line,” Phasma said.

Phasma turned her attention back to the cards that she continued to shuffle steadily. “Children, Finn here is an example of what it means to fail me.” She began as passed out cards around the table, Finn could see confusion on their faces. “And as we have discussed, the only way to fail at this game is to lose focus.”

“There’s no one more focused than me. You said so yourse-”

“Then why is your crew in the hands of Skywalker?” Phasma interrupted.

She stood up, and Finn stepped back.

“Now I didn’t make any money and there is a trace back to me. All because you failed me,” Phasma said with all of her attention now on Finn.

Finn was growing frustrated, feeling more threatened by the minute. “Why don’t you go out there yourself if it’s so easy? We’re the ones out there taking all the risk.”

Phasma took slow steps up to him as she spoke. “You gambled and you lost. In this game, failure is due to a lack of discipline.”

Finn took another step back as Phasma continued to edge toward him.

“Do you know what happens when Skywalker gets a hold of one of us?” she asked as Finn took another step back until a guard grabbed him from behind. “Perhaps you need some discipline.”

The doors burst open and Rey jumped through with a diving kick to one of the guards.

Seeing the opportunity, Finn removed himself from the guard’s hold on him and threw a punch to his jaw that knocked him down.

“Come on let’s go!” Rey yelled.

Finn and Rey dashed out of the doors and through the hall as Phasma screamed at the guards. They just made it out the front door when a bullet grazed the wall. They finally made it to the cab and jumped inside. Rey thrust the key in the ignition and sped off. They went down the road with great speed but Finn kept his eyes behind the car. Though no one was in sight, he kept expecting them to get caught, until he was nearly jerked out of his seat when Rey did a sharp turn into a restaurant parking lot and stopped the car.

“Hey what the hell? Why’d you stop?” He followed Rey out the car.

“We’ve got some time but not a lot. They’ll be coming after us and we need to change cars,” she said, looking around at their options.

Finn watched Rey run up to some cars and checking the front doors for an opening. Replaying the events in his head, he couldn’t help but think Rey had either been in a situation like this before or, she was expecting this to happen. Either way he didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“Here, this one is unlocked,” he waved her over to a car. When she looked over she cringed.

“That one’s garbage,” she said in disgust.

“Now’s not the time for style Rey!”

“Fine we’ll take the garbage,” she said running over.

Finn opened the driver’s door only to realize he didn’t have any keys. Next thing he knew, the door opened wider and Rey threw her backpack onto the driver’s seat and got out tools. Finn watched in awe as Rey went to work on the steering column.

_Who is this girl?_

Finn was about to comment when he saw lights in the distance.e.

“Rey, someone’s coming,” he said and ran to the passenger side of the car.

When got inside the car he looked down at Rey pulling the wires together in haste. He looked behind again to see the approaching car lights growing brighter.

“Rey...”

“I’m trying!” she shouted as she kept pulling the wires but received no spark in the ignition.

Finn watched her pull the wires again and again until yellow lights shined into the car from behind.

“Get down!” he warned and ducked his head from the windows.

The lights grew bright, but only for a second as the approaching car drove past the parking lot. Finn edged up slowly to see the car that drove past was not one of Phasma’s.

He leaned back into his seat. The only sound he could hear was his beat of his heart. He looked over at Rey, who looked just as distressed. He gave her a nod to confirm that they were safe. He took a deep breath and looked over to the rearview mirror. He leaned closer to confirm his fear and what he was seeing.

“Someone else is coming,” Finn said, voice tight..

“Is it them?” Rey asked.

“I don’t know, but we gotta go.”

“Damn!” Rey said, going back to work on the wires.

Finn looked behind them to see the incoming lights of the new approaching car. He was about to suggest running until he heard the ignition start.

“Got it!” Rey cheered. She put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.

Once they were heading down the street, Finn turned around to see the car turn into the parking lot that they just left.

They had escaped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Phasma talking about and what's going on with Rey?
> 
> Next chapter, back to the game


	5. Information

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got to update this. In exchange for your wait, here's a big chapter for you. Enjoy
> 
> Beta'd by the-bi-writer
> 
> This chapter really wouldn't have come together without you

"Whoa we did it!” Finn said, still looking behind them to see no car following, his adrenaline running wild. “That was crazy!"

"You're crazy!” Rey laughed. “I can't believe you went it there with them alone like a boss!"

"Me?” Finn jerked his head toward her, joining her laugh. “You jumped in there all karate kid style. That was amazing!"

"That was some punch you gave that guy. Lights out!" Rey said.

They continued laughing at a recap of the night as they cruised down the road. It took a few miles before their hype died down and reality set it on their present situation.

“So what do we do now?” Rey asked as she kept driving the car forward without destination.

There it was again. Rey was making it clear that she didn’t plan on leaving him. It didn’t make any sense to Finn but he had to admit, he was starting to like the idea of having her around.

“Hey,” Rey spoke up again when she didn’t get a response. “Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

Finn sighed. "Rey don't you want to get back home? Don't you have family...boyfriend?"

"Don't dodge my questions." Rey said back.

"Will you focus on what's important? I need to know if you have to get home, to see your boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend!"

"Oh."

"Hey what's with the dip into my personal life?” Rey asked. “What's your story?"

"I'm single."

"Great. Now tell me who those people trying to kill us are."

Finn took a deep breath and decided that Rey had done more than enough to earn the truth.

“The tall one, Phasma, that’s my boss, or she was rather. She runs an organization, the First Order. For years she’s been gathering people in need of her services to join her organization.”

“What services?” Rey asked.

“Money.” Finn said. “She takes college students, math majors, with money problems and offers to pay our tuition in full. On top of that, the chance to take away a lot of additional cash.”

“So that’s how you learned to count cards.” Rey said. “Phasma teaches the students, and in exchange you go gamble for her?”

“Yeah. And it used to just be honor students with high grades, but apparently that wasn’t enough for Phasma. She wanted loyalty, people who wouldn’t move on. So now she only goes after students in debt.”

“But you said you’re an honor student. Can’t the school help with scholarships and stuff?” Rey said.

Finn shook his head, recalling all the pointless conversations he’d had with the Bursar. “That’s what I thought. But colleges always want money, and a lot of it.”

Finn stopped talking for a moment to reflect on how much his life had changed recently. Last semester he was just worried about classes and potential jobs. Now he’s a gambler, literally playing for his life.”

“How long have you worked for her?” Rey asked, breaking the silence.

“Just a few weeks, but it feels like years. She had us practice everyday for hours. I’m just trying to pay for school, and unfortunately good grades isn’t enough anymore. Colleges only talk to you if you speak the universal language, cash. I’m good with numbers, and long story short Phasma found out and gave an opportunity I couldn’t refuse. You were right that counting cards isn’t illegal, so I didn’t see the big deal. We go in, play some blackjack and get paid, easy.”

Rey nodded along, keeping up with his story. “So why all the need for protection?”

“That’s the same question I asked, but Phasma doesn’t like questions.” Finn said. “She’s been organizing teams and fixing the system for years. She’s loaded, but because her teams get so hot they draw attention. Casinos ban her players and her name has been blacklisted.”

“Wow. But that’s still not enough for gun fire.” Rey said.

“There’s more.” Finn continued. “The casinos in the city were losing too much money, and all traces led back to Phasma. They found out she was manipulating students and constantly breaking the ‘no counting’ rule. So the casino owners in the city all got together and booked a Private Investigator after her. He’s caught a lot of Phasma’s players over the years, Detective Skywalker.”

Silence fell among them. Finn expected a reaction from Rey at his last statement, but when he looked over he saw her eyes locked on the road. He figured she must of felt his eyes on her because she spoke up.

“Really?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Finn began, “The reason things got so serious because The First Order is more than college kids counting cards, that’s just part of her hustle. Phasma takes the money and deals it off.”

Rey jerked her head towards him, nearly serving the car. “For what?”

Finn shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know. Phasma promises to take care of our tuition and does whatever she wants with the rest. All we were told was to not get caught or Detective Skywalker would put us all in jail.”

Finn looked out the window just to see the trees and buildings they were passing, not knowing how much longer he would get the privilege. He started to press down on the window switch for a better view but quickly pulled it back up to regain focus.

“Obviously we are sworn to secrecy.” Finn said. “And anyone Phasma feels may turn her in,” Finn paused and glanced over at Rey. Now she had a reaction, worry on her face. “I think we got an idea of what happens.”

Rey kept driving but leaned back against the headrest, taking all the information in. Finn kept his eyes on her, wondering what she would have to say now that she knew the truth about the danger they were in.

“Finn...you’re screwed.”

For some reason, Finn burst out laughing. He didn’t know why but Rey’s reaction seemed to have broke the tension.

“Yeah,” his laughter died down. “So maybe now you get why I been trying to get you out of this.”

Rey just nodded. “Yeah doesn’t look too good does it? Well I can’t just leave you now. I’ll feel terrible.”

“Rey you’re either really caring or really crazy.” Finn said.

She couldn’t help but laugh a little herself at that. “You’re not the first to say that.” She leaned forward in her seat and readjusted her hands on the steering wheel. “So, where to?”

“Take a right and get on the highway.”

* * *

About half an hour later they arrived on a quiet street just outside a small apartment building. They got out the car and Finn led Rey down an alley. She was skeptical at first but Finn assured her they were safe. He took her hand and led her down a set of cracked steps while keeping his free hand on the dingy stair rail.

When they got to the bottom, Finn checked back with Rey who was glancing around at sketchy environment but then gave him a nod letting him know she was okay. Finn then knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before it opened and they walked in.

Inside was a long but thin room with much more noise than outside. There was probably only about 30 people but it was so compact that it felt like more. There was a faded light hanging above each of the 5 tables where people were playing cards. Those who couldn’t get a table were sitting on the floor in the corners playing cards as well.

“Finn what is this place?” Rey asked.

“We just call it Kanata’s. Named after the owner. It’s a local gambling spot I used to hang at when I used to live on the University’s campus.”  
Rey looked around in awe. “I didn’t even know places like this existed.

“Most don’t.” Finn grinned. “You gotta know somebody. I used to come here regularly until Phasma found me.”

Rey’s attention moved back to Finn. “That’s right. How did she find you?”

“All the gambling spots in the city are known by regular players. After you get some wins going, you gain a little bit of fame.”

She raised her eye brows at him. “Please don’t tell me we came to the most obvious place she’ll be looking for you.”

“No we’re good.” Finn said. Phasma’s wouldn’t step out here. It’s too close to the campus, where the detective will be looking.”

“Oh great.” Rey said. “But how long can we stay here?”

“Just for the night. You see that apartment building next door? I know the landlord, he bartends here. He used to let me crash there when I stayed too late playing cards.”

Finn led Rey down the long room pass all of the table to the back. There, were a couple of benches against the walls with a few people relaxing with their drinks and pass them was the bar. The bartender smiled when he saw Finn. Finn waved at him but noticed the look of surprise when he saw Rey behind Finn.

“Hey welcome back!” the bartender greeted as he bumped fists with Finn.

“Thanks. You still pouring drinks for these students huh?” Finn teased.

“They pay well.” the bartender laughed. Finn joined him before he turned back to Rey.

"Rey this is Han. He taught me everything I know about blackjack." Finn introduced.

Though it was brief, Finn noticed an odd pause that fell between them. Rey was looking away, while Han’s face was full of curiosity.

"You two together?" Han asked.

"What?” Finn laughed nervously. “No we, we just met," he said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Right," Han started, Finn felt like Han could always see through him. It made matters worse when Han turned his attention to Rey. "Well young lady you're missing out a good young man. I like this guy."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Gee thanks. Glad to have your approval," she said sarcastically.

Han shrugged and poured himself a drink, "Just looking out for ya kid."

"I'm going to the bathroom," Rey said.

Watching her walk off, Finn was taken back by the odd exchange that just took place. Han always got interesting reactions from women, but this time the conversation felt different.

"You met before or something?" Finn asked Han.

"Na just reminds me of my ex wife. Seems like a nice girl man," Han said, taking a drink.

"Yeah,” Finn chuckled, remembering her fight moves from earlier. “And a total badass."

Han nearly choked on his drink and broke into a chuckle. "Yeah sounds like Leia."

Finn didn’t comment. It didn’t happen often, but once in awhile Han would mention his ex-wife. It was obvious he missed her.

“So, if you’re back here then I guess hanging with Phasma didn’t make you rich?”

Finn shook his head. “No, and worse that that. All the sudden I’m a target.”

Han sighed. “Yeah money will do that. That’s what I was afraid off when you left.”

“I should have listened to you.” Finn said regretfully

Han waved him off. “Please kid. You know how many bad decisions I made back when I was gambling? That’s why I stopped. Too many people after me.”

Finn looked up and saw Rey walk out of the bathroom. They exchanged glances and Finn figured she realized he was still in deep conversation with Han, so she we went and took a seat at a blackjack table near the front.

“Well,” Finn turned back to Han, “Now I have to get out.”

“How deep are you in?” Han asked.

“Deep,” Finn confirmed. “And I need a place to lay low tonight.”

Han sighed and reached into his pocket to slide Finn a key on the table. Finn took the key and thanked him but Han just grabbed another glass, placing it in front of Finn.

“Well you got two choices in these situations kid,” he said as poured the liquor into Finn’s glass. “Either you leave town and disappear, or you give them what they want.”

Curious, Finn didn’t even grab the glass. “What do they want?”

Han smirked at the question as if the answer was obvious. “The same thing everyone in this game wants, money.”

Finn would’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so serious. “You think she’s got a price?”

“Everybody’s got a price kid, trust me.” Han answered. “You just gotta find out what it is.”

Finn considered this. He moved his glass closer to him, staring at his reflection in the liquor. He couldn’t believe how crazy things gotten so fast. This wasn’t what he signed up for all those weeks ago. Still, he had known Phasma was shady when she first approached him. If he could take it all back he would.

“I convinced myself that I could get through this job with no consequences.” Finn said, thinking out loud.

“You’re a big player Finn, just like me,” Han said. “Just because someone learns to count cards doesn’t mean they’ll be good at it. You’re too good at this game, and even without Phasma you would’ve found yourself in the casino gambling too high eventually. You win big, you lose big. That’s the curse of the game.”

Finn watched Han pour himself another drink. Han always gave him pieces of his story but never the full thing. Still, he always felt he could relate to Han. They were both chasing something, he just didn’t know what Han was chasing. One thing Finn was sure of though, Han wanted him to win at more than just blackjack.

“But take it from me Finn, the game’s a lot more fun when you got a partner.”

Finn chuckled. “You trying to tell me you’re coming out of retirement.”

“No way,” Han laughed. “My time is over but yours is just beginning. Remember what I told ya, no risk-” he raised his glass.

Finn brought his glass to meet Han’s, “No reward.”

The glasses clinked together before Han drank his. Finn nearly followed, before stopping to make one last comment he felt was necessary.

“You know, they say money doesn’t buy happiness.”

Han nodded and looked over to the front. "Rewards ain't always in cash kid."

Finn followed his gaze to see Rey. She had just joined a game and was being dealt a hand. She wore a look of curiosity and excitement as she picked up her cards, reminding Finn of when he first started playing.

Finn finally downed his drink. He gave Han a nod and walked over to the table Rey was playing and stood behind her.

“Think you’re gonna get lucky?” he teased.

Rey smirked, knowing it was him. “Part of luck is confidence, Finn.”

Finn laughed and nodded along. “Alright, show time. Let’s see **you** impress **me**.” he challenged.

Rey turned to him and cracked her knuckles before turning back to her cards. Finn watched on eagerly, curious to see how she would play.

 _8, 8. Decent cards if you know what to do with them,_ Finn thought. He looked up to see the dealer’s face card,  _6._

Rey glanced between her cards and the dealer’s before she made her move.

_Hit, bad move._

The dealer gave Rey her new card.

_8, 8, Queen. Twenty-six, bust._

Rey looked her cards in disbelieve as she watched the dealer take her money. She looked up at Finn briefly before looking back down in disappointment.

“It happens.” Finn shrugged, trying to encourage her. “Why don’t you try again and get your money back?” He said leaning placing his hand on her back.

Rey looked up confused, but decided to play when Finn gave her a reassuring smile.

The dealer passed out the new cards in front of Rey.

 _7, 2._ Finn looked up to see the dealer’s face card, _5._

Finn gently tapped Rey’s back. She took the signal.

_Hit._

_7, 2, 9._

This time Finn gently rubbed Rey’s back. Caught off guard, she straightened her posture and regained focus.

_Stay._

The dealer flipped over his card and drew a couple more. _5, 10, Jack. Twenty-five, bust._ Rey won.

“I won!” Rey laughed.

She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around Finn. Surprised, he hugged her back awkwardly. She released them and gave a nervous chuckled that matched his as she rubbed her arm.

“Look who’s back.” A voice called out.

Finn recognized the voice. He was dreading seeing her, but he knew it was inevitable. This was her place after all.

“Hey Maz.” Finn said.

He turned to see an elderly woman in a green sweater with a bright gold necklace that would steal anyone’s attention. The place went quiet as it often did when Maz made her appearance. She strolled by Finn with her hands behind her back as if she was pondering as she spoke.

“So small money wasn’t good enough for the aspiring student. Not even when he was on his way to his so called goal of paying tuition. He wanted more.”

Finn shook his head, though Maz wasn’t looking. He normally got along well with her, but she took it hard when he told her he was joining Phasma. Maz was one that called things as she saw it, and she saw it as Finn thinking he was too good for Kanata’s.

“That’s not how it is.” he said.

“Rich woman comes around waving cash in front his face and he’s hooked.” Maz continued, not paying attention to Finn’s objection. “Just like all of the others. And just like them he comes running back to little Kanata’s when he lost.”

“I didn’t lose.” Finn said, growing frustrated.”

“When you play this game long enough you see a lot.” Maz cut him off. “For example, when one loses big their eyes show the truth. Sometimes that truth is anger but most of the time it’s fear.”

Maz moved up to Finn and stood on her toes in attempt to get closer. Though she only came up to his stomach, Finn felt her taunting grin as if it were right in front of his face. Still, Finn stood his ground and Maz backed up, keeping her eyes on his.

“Yes I’ve seen those eyes before. A loser’s eyes.” Maz said.

Finn had enough. He had gone through far too much to be belittled. He stepped up toward Maz and kept his posture tall as he stared down at her. He made sure she saw his eyes.

“You don’t know a thing about me, what I’ve seen, or why I play. I don’t lose, and I don’t run.” Finn grabbed the cash off of Rey’s table and held it up to Maz for proof. “I keep playing. And I keep winning.”

With that, Finn gestured at Rey and they made their way to the door. Once they stepped outside Rey pulled on his arm bringing him to a stop.

“Finn wait. Are you alright?” Rey asked.

Finn looked her for a moment before answering. He knew this was crazy, but it was part of the game.

“I got a place for tonight, we’ll be safe. And tomorrow I’m going to get Phasma off our backs. You can leave or you can come along. But Rey-” Finn reached down and took her hand and gripped it gently. “Come with me.”

This whole time he had been telling her to leave, but the truth was he wanted her with him. Han was right, the game was better with someone else along. Though he only known her for a short time, Finn knew he wouldn’t have gotten through the night without her. And there was still so much more he wanted to know about her. Still, this was the first time he asked Rey to stay with him and he could see she was contemplating it. Probably reflecting on the night’s events and if he was worth all this trouble. To his relief, her response finally came.

"I'll go with you.” Rey said. “But there’s something I have to do. I have to see my loan shark, Plutt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All is good for now, but is getting rid of Phasma as simple as Han suggests?
> 
> More to come


	6. Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I decided to push things back a bit because I'm aware not everyone may be familiar with the game. So hopefully this chapter will clears things up.
> 
> Beta'd by the-bi-writer

Finn woke up to an unfamiliar room. He looked around to see that not only was he not in his own bed, but he wasn’t in a bed at all. He was laying in between a couple of blankets just above the hardwood floor. He sat up confused, even more so when he saw another empty pile of blankets on top the couch, the only piece of furniture in the room.

_Rey_ , he thought.

Suddenly his memories rushed back to him from the previous night.

After finally finishing Phasma’s rigorous and stifling training, he was sent with a crew to count cards and take a lot of cash from the casino. But during the job he met this girl, Rey, and the two of them escaped when security busted his crew. Now Phasma was after him, and Rey too. To avoid being caught, Finn took Rey and crashed in a small vacant apartment in which a friend of his owned.

Ironically he just met Rey, but both of them saved each other’s lives in the same night.

Finn’s attention shifted when he heard the door knob to the apartment turn. The door opened to reveal the subject of his thoughts enter the room.

“You’re up.” Rey said, quickly tucking her phone in her pocket.

This girl was becoming more mysterious by the second. But for some reason, Finn liked it.

“Yeah,” he yawned, stretching out the kinks in his back.

“Thanks again for letting me have the couch. You didn’t have to do that.” Rey said.

Finn waved her off. “No problem. It was the least I could do since I brought you into this.” He laughed.

“Well I still have a little extra cash from last night. I figure I at least owe you breakfast,” Rey offered.

Finn’s first thought was that she didn’t owe him anything, but his stomach made a pretty convincing argument. “I know just the place.”

* * *

Finn led Rey into a small cafe just a block away from Kanata’s. It was close enough to campus that he figured they were safe from Phasma. It was also Finn’s favorite place to go after a long night gambling at Kanata’s. The place was quiet and relaxing, just the way he liked it after a lively night.

When the waiter came, Finn just ordered his usual, his thoughts still focused elsewhere. Han had made an interesting suggestion about paying Phasma off. That woman was a closed book, but if there’s one thing Finn knew about her is that her goal in life was strictly to get money and she didn’t care how she got it. Considering the circumstances, bribing her was risky, but it was worth a shot.

“Finn.”

Hearing his name, Finn looked up and met Rey’s annoyed eyes.

“You know you have a tendency to space out,” she said.

Finn sighed. “My bad. I was just thinking about Phasma. I might be able to pay her off.”

“Just like that?” Rey asked in disbelief. “I can’t imagine she wants a reasonable amount.”

“Yeah me either. But it’s the best chance we have.”

When the waiter came back with their food. As the plates were being placed on the table, Finn took a moment to examine Rey. She wore a poker face of her own, not indicating to the waiter of any specious conversation at all. Finn started to think that she might be a good partner after all. He was was going to comment on it the moment the waiter left until he noticed something else that needed to be addressed.

“You’re just gonna eat fruit?” Finn asked, looking at Rey’s plate baffled. “No actual food?

Rey lowered her fork and looked up at him insulted. “This _is_ food. And a lot healthier than the eggs and sausage you’re shoveling down.”

Finn was taken aback hearing his plate being now being insulted. “We gotta big day ahead of us. I need my fuel.”

“Fuel? That’s the exact opposite fuel. It’s fat and grease.” Rey said with disgust. “Fruit gives you real energy.”

“Hey I’m not playing sports, I’m playing cards. This is brain food.” Finn said.

“That doesn't even make any sense.”

“Don’t belittle my meal. Worry about your meal.”

“ _That_ is my meal! I’m paying for it.”

“With the money I won!”

“Oh that reminds me.” Rey tone changed. “Teach me how to count cards.”

Finn raised his eye brow at her before shaking his head and took a bite of his food. He contemplated her possible reasoning while he chewed. In the end, he just figured he ask.

“Why?”

“I could use some extra money.” Rey shrugged and started to eat.

“Can’t we all?” Finn smiled. “But there’s only two types of people that still wanna gamble when they lose at a casino like you did. So are you in more trouble than let on, or did you get a thrill playing at Kantana’s?”

Rey grinned. “Can’t it be both?”

The conversation stopped there for a moment. They took their time eating, but kept their eyes on each other. Finn did his best to read her face, but was having a hard time getting past her distracting smile. He was having a hard enough time removing his own smile at that. This girl was breaking all of his defenses.

“Even so,” Finn finally said “Counting cards isn’t that simple. It took me weeks to learn.”

“I bet you’re a better teacher than yours was,” Rey said, growing serious. “I’ve seen you in action, you study the cards in seconds. You’re good Finn, better than good.”

Finn looked down at his food and nodded. “That’s why Phasma was so eager to get me out to the casino.”

“So what do you think?” Rey asked.

Finn looked up and scanned her face once last time. He could tell she was serious and ready to play.

“Like I said it’s gonna take a lot of practice. Which means you and I would have to spend more time together,” he said nervously shifting his food around with his fork.

Rey smiled again, mimicking his actions. “I guess so.”

She liked him, at least that’s what Finn figured. In the game he was used to, this was a sign to let the momentum ride. Still, flirting with Rey wasn’t a game, or if it was then it was something he didn’t know if he could win. But one thing he learned from Han, sometimes you got to stop thinking, and just play the game.

He wiped the sweat of his palms before moving his plate aside and laid a deck of cards on the table.

“Okay basic strategy,” he said pulling a few cards from the top.

Rey raised her eyebrow. “You keep a deck on you?”

“Yup and you’re about to get a crash course.”

Rey smirked and moved her plate to the side, accepting the challenge. “I never played with a professional before.”

He chuckled. “Well hate to break it to ya, but this is what we look like. We’re not always fancy outfits and jewelry like the movies.”

Rey shrugged. “Fancy is overrated.”

Finn smiled. He liked this girl.

“Okay,” he said, regaining focus on the cards. “The mistake most people make is at the beginning. Most people think you have to beat the dealer but really the dealer has to beat you.”

“What’s the difference?” Rey asked.

“Just remember when you play that you have the advantage. So if I’m the dealer and I give you these cards-” Finn laid two cards in front of Rey.

6, 9

He then laid one card face down in front of him and one face up next to it.

“And this is my face card-”

4

“What move would you make based on these cards?”

Rey hesitated.“Hit”

Finn shook his head.

“But I only have 15,” Rey said. “I need to get to 21.”

“No you don’t. You’re allowed to stay at 15. The dealer has to try to get to 21.” Finn said. “Most cards in a deck are high cards, if you hit then you’ll probably bust over 21 and lose. Stay where you’re at, and let the dealer bust. So you stay at 15 and I flip over my facedown card.”

4, 10

“And because I’m the dealer, I have to Hit,” Finn said drawing another card.

4, 10, King

“You busted over 21,” Rey said. “I win!”

Finn nodded. “Yup. See you had the advantage. The odds were in your favor and you won.”

“Still, you’re a counter.” Rey said. “So you know what’s coming right? There are so many cards. How do you keep track of them all?”

“You don’t actually keep track of the individual cards, you keep track of the deck as whole. So a deck contains high cards: 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace; and low cards: 2-9. Based on the cards that have already been played, you can predict if high or low cards are coming up.”

“I see. So by keeping count of the high and low cards, you have a better chance of knowing whether you should hit or stay for your next hand?”

“Exactly.”

“So it’s not really cheating then. It’s just, smart. You’re not guaranteed to win, you’re just doing simple math and increasing your odds of winning.”

“Yup. That’s all gambling is, playing the odds. But by counting cards, you know what your odds are.”

“I guess that’s why it’s still legal.”

“Unless you do it Phasma’s way.”

The conversation was cut off by a soft chime. Finn watched Rey pull the ringing phone from her pocket. She pressed ignore, just like she did the last time. Only this time she typed out a quick message before putting it away.

“Hey Finn, not to be rude but we should get going.”

“Plutt?”

He noticed her hesitation before she answered.

“Yeah. Let’s get that over with.”

Finn watched Rey walk over to the counter to pay the bill. The girl was a mystery, but she had his interest. He wanted to know everything about her and the only way to do that, was to keep playing the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Let me know if you if still have questions. Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter, back to the action!


	7. Nerves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by [the-bi-writer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedapenname)
> 
> They also made this awesome [cover art](https://classic-vision.tumblr.com/post/165524177334/the-bi-writer-no-risk-no-reward-a-finnrey) for the story

The morning brought a different scenery for Finn and Rey than the reckless night before. The sun was halfway risen and air was much warmer. Yet, the vibe was the same. As he drove, Finn noticed the streets were still empty as they had been several hours ago with city yet to have awaken on this Saturday morning. Finn felt it was strange that they had been out so late running for their lives that he thought that him and Rey would still be exhausted. He wondered if it was a mutual concern, for the unknown events that were likely to transpire today, that carried over the adrenaline to wake them up so early.

“So have you decided how your gonna bribe Phasma?” Rey asked.

“Not exactly. I don’t wanna leave it up to her because then she’ll say a ridiculous amount.” Finn said. “I’ll just start with something reachable. For the job she wanted me to do, I was supposed to report back to her once I hit a set mark of five thousand dollars.”

Rey jerked her head towards him, “Five thousand? That’s a lot Finn. Can you get that much?”

Finn sighed, resting his head on his left hand propped against the window while his right hand stayed on the wheel. “Well, it be easier with a team. But now all I have is you.” he teased.

Rey rolled her eyes, “You sound so confident.”

Finn laughed at her sarcasm. “Seriously, together I think we can do it.”

“I’m in. What’s the plan?”

“Why don’t we handle one problem at a time.” Finn said, sitting up straight.

Rey gave him a confused look. “We’ve already survived the worst.”

“Have we? You still haven’t told me about this Plutt guy.”

Finn kept his eyes on the road and waited for an answer. He didn’t need to see Rey to know she was hesitating.

“What’s there to tell? You know he’s a loan shark. He gave me money that I have to return and I’m late a few days.” Rey said.

“Yeah but why? Why borrow from a guy who sends goons after you?”

“I didn’t know a card counter before.” she teased.

Finn’s eyes stayed on the road, unable to fight back his grin. He didn’t have to see Rey to know she was wearing one too. He was already feeling so comfortable around her, even though she wasn’t being completely honest with him. But Finn figured that was fine for now, they had a bigger problem to worry about with Phasma.

“Alright mystery lady. Where is this super dangerous guy that I need to take you to even though I don’t know anything about him?”

“Shut up and take a left at the light.”

* * *

Finn pulled up to a wide lot. It was a dirt land with a bunch of random booths and outhouses, each of them held long lines. Everyone was carrying items in their hands as they approached the booth. The place looked somewhere of a cross between an abandoned flea market and garage sale. According to Rey, Plutt was the owner of the land and in charge of all the transactions.

“This is it? It’s shady, and a dump.” Finn said.

“Yeah.” Rey said. “People come to buy and sell random junk but if you were in serious need, Plutt would provide a loan as long as a quick return is promised.

Finn nodded. He figured Rey must have had serious reason to resort to a place like this. The vibe alone was unsettling.

“Alright there at the middle booth. I won’t be long.” Rey said opening the passenger door.

“I’ll go with you.” Finn said.

Before he could open his door, Rey slam hers shut and tugged on his arm.

“No Finn. Just let me handle this.”

“Rey are crazy? Last time those guys tried to pull a knife on you.”

“Look at all these people Finn. Plutt won’t try anything. But if they see you, they will feel threatened. I’ll drop of the money and come right back.”

Finn didn’t like it. It made sense, the atmosphere had too much attention for Plutt to risk harming Rey but still, the thought bothered him.

“I’ll be right in your sight.” Rey assured him. “If anything goes wrong you’ll see. But this might also be a good time for you to call Phasma. We can take care of both them at once.”

Against his better judgement, Finn nodded and Rey got out the car.

Finn watched her walk over while pulling out his phone. He didn’t know which feeling was worse, the slow long ringing in his ear in anticipation for Phasma to pick up or watching Rey talk to this old angry looking guy, that he could only assume was Plutt, and have no idea what they were saying.

“Finn,” he heard once Phasma answered. She sounded as if she expected his call.

His heart skipped a beat, though his voice didn’t show it. “Yeah. Since you answered that means you’re still safe from Skywalker.”

“For now. No thanks to you, or your friend.” Phasma said through the phone line.

“She had nothing to do with this,” Finn said.

“If you thought that would be a convincing argument then you’ve managed to disappoint me twice in less than twenty four hours. And my anger continues to grow.”

Phasma’s voice was as lifeless as ever. And that was the problem, _lifeless_. Finn didn’t underestimate how dangerous she was for a second.

“Alright then, no games. I got a proposition for you.”

“We’re _always_ playing a game, Finn, and your losses are adding up. That’s three disappointments.” Phasma said.

Finn could hear her Phasma’s patience breaking, and he starting to panic.

“I’ll get you the five grand tonight!”

The line went quiet. All he could hear was the slight static from the phone. It seemed like an eternity before she responded.

“Twenty thousand.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” she said dully.

“Bu-”

“You cost me a crew that was worth five grand each. Twenty thousand between the two of you should be no problem.” Phasma said.

She brought up Rey again and Finn didn’t like it.

“I told you she nothing to do with this!”

“Midnight.” was the last thing Finn heard before the line went dead.

Finn wanted smash his phone against the window, but when he saw Rey approaching, he did his best to remain calm.

She said nothing at first when she got in the car. The anticipation was killing Finn.

“No problem right? Plutt took the money?” he asked.

Rey shook her head. “He took the money, but we got a problem. Apparently there’s a late fee. He wants a thousand dollars by tomorrow.”

“What?”

Rey bit her lip and Finn knew worse news was coming. “And everyday I’m late it’s another late fee.”

Finn slammed his fist down on the armrest.

“Damn it!”

“I’m sorry Finn.”

“Well this is just perfect.” he said.

Rey turned in her seat to face him. “I’m guessing things Phasma didn’t go well either?”

Finn sighed. “Terrible. The price of my freedom from the First Order is life or twenty thousand dollars.”

Rey nearly jumped out of her seat. “Twenty thousand? She’s crazy!”

“Even worse, we have until midnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more Finnrey stories [checkout my Tumblr](https://classic-vision.tumblr.com)


	8. Winning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized I didn't name the locations before so I'll clear some things up.
> 
> Jakku casino is where they were in the first chapter where everything went down.
> 
> Coruscant casino is the current casino for this chapter on the other side of town.
> 
> Canto Bright is the city they are in. This is actually the name of the new city for The Last Jedi
> 
> Beta'd by the brilliant [the-bi-writer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedapenname)
> 
>  
> 
> [cover art](https://classic-vision.tumblr.com/post/165524177334/the-bi-writer-no-risk-no-reward-a-finnrey)

“So we have to get over twenty-thousand dollars by the end of the night. How are we going to do that?” Rey asked.

It was good question, the same one Finn had buzzing in his head ever since he got off the phone with Phasma. They had agreed for Finn and Rey’s safety in exchange for the large amount of cash by midnight. Was there any guarantee that Phasma would keep her word? It was a gamble, but that was the only answer Finn had.

“Only way we can, hit the casino,” he said.

Rey nodded, “I figured you’d say that.”

“And we can’t go back to Jakku because it’s compromised by Skywalker,” Finn said, thinking out loud. “Next best option is we can head up east to Coruscant.”

“I’m game, let’s do it.” Rey said without hesitation.

Finn sighed, tapping his figures on the wood of the picnic table. He took a moment to glance around the park they sat at. It was a secluded spot on the outside of campus that he came to focus on his assignments sometimes when the dorms got too noisy. Plus, with the deal he made with Phasma, he and Rey didn’t have to worry about danger following them for a while.

“It’s still a lot of money,” Finn said, feeling the breeze on his face. The sight of the trees and grass blowing in the soft wind was a peaceful sight. Especially since he knew that night was going to be anything but peaceful. He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Rey’s hand on his.

“You can do it, Finn,” she said with a determined look. “This is what you do, this is your game. You’re an honors math student about to graduate from university. And you said so yourself, Phasma wanted you because you’re the best.”

Finn looked into Rey’s eyes. She was so confident in him, even though she had only witnessed him play a handful of times. But she was right, this was his game.

Ever since the early days of college, playing cards at Kanata’s with Han on the weekends, he’d always drawn a crowd. Word spread so fast that even Phasma herself had to recruit him. When it came to this game, he was the best.

“You’re right.” Finn said, gripping her hand and giving her a newfound confident grin. She didn’t move it, she only smiled. “I need to get back to being logical instead of emotional. That’s an important part of gambling, by the way.”

“What do you mean?” Rey asked, still keeping her hand on his. He kept it still, though on the inside he felt jittery.

“When you gamble, you have to set your emotions aside and only play the odds when in your favor,” Finn said. “Otherwise you’ll get caught in your feelings when you lose, and you’ll end up still playing even when you’re down a bunch of cash. That’s something that Han taught me back when I started playing blackjack.”

Rey rolled her eyes, but still nodded. “Although I hate to agree with Han, that does make sense.”

Finn reluctantly let go of Rey’s hand and pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket and laid them out on the table.

“Alright, let’s go over strategy.”

* * *

That night had finally arrived. Darkness overtook the sky as Finn drove up to the isolated lights coming from one building on the east side of the city of Canto Bight, the Coruscant casino.

Like Jakku casino it was bright and colorful, however these colors held a theme. Coruscant a large dark red building with yellow lights streaming over the sign while purple lights covered majority of the building and even the entry way. The colors were said to capture the essence of a sunset, making you feel as if you were entering the night life once you walk in. It worked on everyone who came by, including Finn who was enticed immediately.

“This is it,” Finn said after he parked. “Ready?”

Rey nodded, “Yeah I’m good.”

“We should go over some signals one last time.”

“Good idea. We don't want to get caught counting cards,” Rey agreed.

“Ok so if I do this,” Finn reached up to rub the back of his neck, “Then that means the deck is hot. Play big money because the cards are in our favor according to the count.”

Rey nodded. “Yeah I like that one. It looks like you're nervous, but really you're confident.”

“Now for the opposite. If I lean back and stuff my hands into my pockets,” Finn gestured the action, “The deck is cold. We’ll get our chips and move onto another table where the count is better.”

“Ok.” Rey said. “We’ll have to stay together and keep a close eye on each other for signals.”

“Wait. There’s one last signal,” Finn said. “And this is the most important one.” Finn laced his fingers and pushed them forward allowing his knuckles to crack. “When I do that, something’s wrong. We’re caught and we need to get out immediately.”

“I got it,” Rey confirmed. True to her nature, Rey looked anxious. It put Finn at rest, feeling though she was new to the game, she was still up for the challenge.

They got out of the car and walked out of the lot up to the casino. Finn walked into a new building with a familiar environment. The unnaturally bright lights could be seen from miles away, the fancy outfits people wore, limos and taxis, and valets everywhere. The fashionable plush carpet that stretched throughout the whole building, the unique ceiling patterns. It was impossible not to be mesmerized by the rich arena. It’s why countless people came to the casino even though they knew the odds were against them. Once you were inside, you just felt like a winner, and Finn was a winner.

Though it wasn’t his ideal situation, Finn felt like this is where he belonged, where he thrived. He was a statistical genius and could count better than anyone Phasma had ever worked with. But even before Phasma, Finn was using basic strategy to make cash at blackjack all over the city. Han even admitted that the student had surpassed the master.

This time was different, this time he had a real partner. A friend, maybe even something more. He looked over at Rey, this mysterious girl he had only met a day ago and yet it seemed like longer. He looked her up and down with a smile when he was reminded that they hadn’t even had time to change clothes. It actually didn’t bother him, compared to everyone else he liked that they stood out. Most people around them were really dressed up for their saturday evening at Coruscant, but Finn and Rey were dressed simple and comfortable. He wore his brown jacket with black jeans. Rey had on a gray jacket with blue jeans and nice blue and white sneakers that Finn had been admiring for the past day. Yeah they stood out, and Finn didn’t mind at all as he turned back to the scenery.

Unlike before, his palms didn’t sweat. He felt composed and actually, excited. It was feeling he hadn’t had in a while, before the days of Phasma and the First Order.

“You know what I like about casinos?” Rey asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. “Even though I haven’t been to many, it’s still so enticing. No one knows you when you walk in. You’re just another player. But if you win, you’re rich, you’re free, you can be anyone you want to be.”

Finn absorbed this honesty from Rey. In the short time they’ve known each other she’s been such an exciting mystery. But in that moment, she was honest and vulnerable.

“I like who you are,” Finn said.

Rey turned to him, looking perplexed and almost surprised.

Finn assured her with a gentle smile. “Be yourself tonight.”

Rey returned his smile, but not before playfully bumping his shoulder. “And you’ll still be my date?”

“Gonna be hard to top the last one,” Finn teased.

“So no guns this time?” she whispered, referencing the weapon’s appearance in their first meeting. Finn felt that she was more concerned for him than she was for herself. She was so badass.

Finn leaned forward, whispering back. “I left it in the car, as promised. And we’re safe from Phasma for now, so we’re good.”

“Alright then,” Rey said. “Let’s play.”

* * *

They found themselves playing at a table with a few other people. The table was quiet due some recent losses from the players, except for Finn and Rey who were on a winning streak. At first glance, it would seem there was no money to be made at this table, but that’s because know one knew how to play like Finn.

So far, he and Rey had only played the table minimum of fifteen dollars a hand. But the way things were going, Finn suddenly felt a kink in his neck that he had to reach up and rub out. Rey seemed to have noticed because she increased her bet to fifty dollars. Keeping his smile concealed, he followed and increased his bet to sixty dollars.

_7, 5_

_Not the best hand to have,_ Finn thought looking at the new cards in front of him. He then looked up to see the dealer’s face up card.

_10_

_A dangerous card to play against, it would scare most people. But, the logic of the count says I’m safe._ Finn thought.

_Stay._

The dealer flipped over his down card, though Finn had a pretty good idea of the kind it would be.

_10, 4_

_So far, so good._

The dealer drew his next card.

_10, 4, 2_

_Come on…_

The dealer drew another card.

_10, 4, 2, 7_

_Twenty-three. Dealer bust, everybody at the table wins._

Suddenly, the once dull table came alive. High fives and cheers went all around as the dealer passed out the winning chips to all the players.

“Wow that was so tense!” Rey said to him.

“Yeah that’s the best when the whole table wins.” Finn said. He leaned pass Rey to address the others, “What do you all say, think we can beat again?”

A mutual, “Yeah!” was shouted from everyone as the anted their bets, all with larger amounts. Rey increased her bet to seventy dollars, but Finn was feeling a little daring and went up to a hundred dollars. Rey gave him a quick glance before focusing on her new cards.

 _No risk, no reward._ Finn thought, the wise words of Han buzzing in his head.

He looked down at his new cards before him.

_8, 2_

He quickly looked up at the dealer’s face up card and grinned.

_6_

_Easy._

Finn grabbed another hundred dollar worth of chips and placed him next to his ante.

“Double down.”

Ooohs went across the table at Finn’s daring bet, except for Rey who look like she was gonna burst from anticipation.

The dealer passed out Finn’s new card.

_8, 2, Ace_

_Twenty-one. Win_

The ooohs became cheers as the dealer passed Finn his new stack of chips. Everyone congratulated him. Rey didn’t cheer as loud as the others, trying to remain composed, but the smile on her face said it all.

Finn liked that smile, it was a winner’s smile. And tonight, they were winners.

* * *

They played for about and hour, collecting wins and stacking chips. They had won so much that Finn and Rey didn’t even speak of the Phasma issue. Finn had hoped that Rey forgot about it, he didn’t want her to stress while they were enjoying themselves. Money didn’t seem like a problem anymore, and they were having too much fun to worry about anything.

Finn thought it was a good time to take a break and took Rey over to the buffet table, he had been hyping up how great casino buffets are to her for the last twenty minutes. After filling their plates they sat down at a booth underneath a beautiful maroon dim lighting. The buffet was in the back of the casino far enough that the loud party music was replaced by soothing jazz to compliment the dining experience.

“I can’t believe how nice this is,” Rey said, looking around at the scenery. “I’m used to buffets being cheap food in a cheap place but this,” she gestured to her plate, “This is high quality stuff.”

“Yeah.” Finn said, taking a moment to bite into his teriyaki salmon and savoring the taste before swallowing. “I told you it would be the best you ever had. And I’m glad you decided to indulge. You actually got real food on your plate!” he joked, referring the conversation from breakfast earlier.

Rey rolled her eyes but didn’t hide her grin. “Well it’s a special occasion,” she said biting into her  
chicken mozzarella, her face full of delight. She moaned in satisfaction before sipping her sweet tea. “Tonight is all about us.” She said raising her glass.

“To us.” Finn met his glass with hers. “And next we’ll head over to the High Limit area. Just stick the plan, stay logical and we’ll be...” Finn raised his fork high, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!”

Rey snorted. “Winner, winner, chicken dinner? You know Finn, you’re pretty dorky for a gambler,” she said shaking her head.

“Hey, just being me,” Finn said with a shrug.

“That’s okay. I like dorks.”

* * *

After their delicious victory meal, Finn and Rey set out to the high limit area. It was down a secluded hall, but once you walked into the room, it looked just like the rest of the casino. The only difference was the taller stacks of chips on the table. These people were playing for big bucks.

Finn and Rey walked over to a table, standing behind them for a moment to watch the cards while Finn got the count.

“Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” a voice shouted from one of the blackjack tables.

“Finn, that’s your line,” Rey said.

Finn chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a common saying when you win in blackjack.”

“Oh…” Rey said, rubbing her hair looking embarrassed when some of the other players started to chuckle.

“That’s okay I like dorks.” Finn playfully bumped her shoulder, earning him a rougher one back.

They sat down at the table and anted in five hundred dollars a piece.

It was big money, but Finn wasn’t worried at all. In fact, he felt more confident than before when the dealer passed out the cards.

_8, 8_

_Split_

The dealer separated Finn’s cards on demand. Now each eight stood alone and Finn had to put five hundred dollars with each one of them, a thousand dollars in total up for gamble.

The dealer passed out the next card.

_8, 10_

_Stay_

The next card came out for the other set.

_8, Jack_

_Stay_

The dealer then worked on his on cards.

_5, King_

One last card came out.

_5, King, 10_

_Twenty-five. Dealer bust, everybody at the table wins._

Because of the closed off room and the larger amounts of money won, the table cheers were the loudest of the night. All was good in Finn’s world. He was winning.

* * *

Rey was on a roll. So much that Finn felt she could take some rounds on her own. He excused himself from the table for a moment to make a call. He couldn’t help himself, the night was going so well that he didn’t want it to end.

It was a gamble, but looking at Rey winning from the distance gave him even more confidence.

“Finn.” Phasma answered.

“You mean they still ain’t got you behind bars?” Finn chuckled.

“Watch your mouth child.”

“No, you watch yours,” he said feeling more confident and not backing down to her this time. “I got what you want and you got what I need. I got your money and I never want to see your old wrinkled face or hear your damn robotic voice again.”

“You got a death wish child.”

Finn chuckled. For so long he had been holding in his fear and frustration with Phasma, but now he was in his world, with his rules. He was finally going to be the boss and she was going to listen to him for once. “Phasma, the only wish I have is for you to be gone. So how’s this, Forty stacks. Each and every single dollar with your name on it.”

There was a pause in the conversation. Phasma didn’t snap back at Finn’s bluntness, she was considering his offer.

“What’s the catch?” she finally asked.

“Simple, I just need another twenty four more hours. You’ll get the money then and I’ll be done with you forever.”

“You think you can call the shots?” she asked, sounding frustrated.

“That’s right,” Finn stated. “Now, I got cards waiting to be played. We got a deal?”

Another pause went by.

“Agreed. Forty thousand, tomorrow at midnight.”

“Have a nice night,” Finn said before hanging up. And the was the last time he thought about Phasma for the rest of the night.

* * *

“Sorry about that.” Finn said coming back to the table. “Let’s play.”  
The dealer passed out the cards to everyone at the table. Finn knew the count and was pretty confident with the cards he had, King and Queen.

He looked over see the rest of the action. Everyone had good cards, some just didn’t know it. He looked up to see the competition.

_Dealer’s face up card is a 2_

_Stay._

Now that his turn was done, Finn looked next to him.

_Rey has 7, 4_

Finn knew that Rey knew what to do but, he saw the hesitation on her face. She looked up at him for reassurance on the risk that was surely roaming in her head.

“Man I’m still kind of hungry, I should’ve got some of that chicken after all.” Finn said rubbing the back of his neck.

Rey took the hint. She grabbed another stack of chips and put them next to her ante.

“Double down.”

The dealer passed out her final card.

_7, 4, 10_

_Twenty-one. Win_

Rey’s face lit up and she let out a laugh of relief. Finn watched proudly as Rey thanked each of the players generously complimenting her on her move. If possible, she smiled even brighter when her eyes met his.

“Next dinner’s on you.”

* * *

They played a few more hands and won a lot more money for the next hour. All felt so good to Finn, he didn’t know if things could get any better that night.

“Finn, they got a live band!” Rey pointed out behind them to the gathering crowd by the small stage in the corner.

He scooped up the winning chips. “Let’s check it out.”

The band played music that kept up with the pace of the night, substantiating the lively atmosphere. However, there were no lyrics, just sounds of the guitar’s smooth electric vibe shooting waves through his body.

Maybe it was the pile of chips in his pockets, or the neon blue lighting mixing with sounds of the live instruments, but Finn felt good, and Rey looked good. He gently took her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She look back and smiled at him before turning back to the band, swaying to the music. Feeling more daring, Finn swayed with her shifted his hands down Rey’s body, firmly grasping her hips.

He didn’t know what to expect, but he was rewarded with Rey placing her arms on his hugging them tighter. Finn didn’t know what to think, he didn’t want to think. He leaned his head down on Rey’s shoulder as she leaned her head on his while they continued to move with the rhythm of the guitar strings. Finn was tired of thinking, because everything just felt right.

* * *

 The night had came to an end. With so much money to spare, Finn and Rey decided to get a couple of rooms at the hotel across the street from Corusscant. They rode the elevator up to their assigned floor in silence, Finn wondered if Rey was reflecting on the perfect evening the way he was.

“Guess I haven’t lost that rush yet,” Rey spoke up once they stepped out of the elevator. “Want to play a few more hands ourselves just for fun?”

Finn chuckled, “Sure. We played so much tonight, what’s a few more hands?”

When they got to Rey’s room, the first thing both of them did was strip off their jackets. They took turns pointing out the beauty of the suite comparing it to the old abandoned apartment they crashed at the night before.

When she stopped talking, Finn looked over to see Rey standing over the sink starring in the mirror.

“It’s hard to think how different everything was just yesterday. It seems like a different world tonight.” Rey said, taking a serious tone while staring into her reflection.

Finn walked up and hugged her from behind. “That’s because this a different world. It’s our world tonight,” he said, admiring the reflection of Rey’s face.

“Finn, we have enough money now. Why did you double the deal with Phasma?” Rey asked for the first time since Finn told her about the call.

Finn took a moment to consider the question, though he knew the answer already.

“I wanted to the night to keep going. Winning with you, I wanted the momentum to ride.”

“That doesn’t seem like a logical decision,” Rey said quietly.

Finn spun Rey around gently, meeting her eyes.

“Sometimes emotion is better than logic.”

He raised his hand to her cheek, caressing it. In Rey’s eyes, Finn saw a lot. He saw questions, he saw lust, he saw concern, he saw temptation. He continued to speak from his heart.

“If you’re scared to take a chance, you’ll never get what you want out of this game.”

Following his words, Finn leaned in and quickly kissed Rey. He felt the rush of the entire night instantly hit him the moment her lips touched hers. But the moment was cut short when Rey jerked back. She didn’t look stunned, more like conflicted. Finn wanted to comment, but something told him not to. He took a chance and now he had to see how the cards would play out. He didn’t have to wait long.

Rey stepped in and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him in for another kiss. Their lips shifted on each other and their tongues joined the dance while their bodies pressed against one another as their hands explored everything they could.

The kissing and touching grew more aggressive by the second, even when they found themselves against the wall. On instinct, Finn reached down to grab Rey’s legs and prop her up on the wall, all the while keeping his mouth on hers. He slid his mouth down to her neck while Rey wrapped her legs around his waist, thrusting his against hers.

It was in this moment, all thoughts were gone and every action caused a reaction. It was natural, it felt right. There was no stress from school, no pressure for money, no fear of Phasma, and no loan sharks. In this moment school was out, money was endless, and Phasma was gone. All there was, was Finn and Rey.

Finn leaned back allowing Rey to peel off his shirt. He took the opportunity to catch as many breaths as he could. He stayed pressed against Rey keeping her on the wall while she began to unbuckle his belt. When their eyes met the rush came back. Finn crashed his lips against hers again, only stopping to remove her shirt. Once their lips met again, the heat of Rey’s skin warmed his. It was bliss.

No Finn wasn’t just an honor student in this moment. He wasn’t just a card counter either. Rey wasn’t just a mysterious girl, or a badass karate student. They were all those things and more. They were what they desired to be, what they deserved to be.

Winners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more Finnrey stories [checkout my Tumblr](https://classic-vision.tumblr.com)


	9. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to [the-bi-writer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedapenname) for helping this one come together. Took a lot of work but we pulled it off!
> 
> Enjoy

Colored lighting, live guitars. Soft lips, warm skin. The images flashed through Finn’s mind before being blinked away. Then, for a moment it was all dark, before his eyes opened once more to see the natural sunlight streaming through the windows. It was morning.

Finn stretched out enjoying the luxury of the nice queen sized hotel bed, much better than the tiny one he was stuck with on campus, and definitely better than the floor at Han’s spare apartment from the previous night. That’s when it hit him.

 _Rey,_ he thought.

He had the bed to himself, though he would have enjoyed her company, especially after last night.

Finn sighed and got up to retrieve his pants that were scattered on the floor along with the rest of his clothes. After putting them on, followed by his shirt, he couldn’t help but flop back down on the bed and replay the events of last night in his head.

He and Rey had won big, real big. So big that he actually decided to double his deal with Phasma in exchange that his deadline to pay her would be extended to another night. Tonight.

Everything had gone so well that Finn couldn’t help it. He started to think with his emotion and not his mind. The night was so perfect so he rode the wave of his constant wins at the blackjack table. It was the best night of his life, but now it was morning and he had more work to do. Only one problem, where was R…

As if on cue, the door opened and Rey entered the room.

“Hey,” she said smiling. Finn perked up seeing Rey with her hair down for the first time. The look went well with the white hotel bathrobe she was wearing. “Sleep well?”

“Great,” Finn said, pushing the covers back to make more room. “Yourself?”

Rey slid in the bed and snuggled up to him.“Wonderful.”

“For a second I thought you were skipping out on me,” Finn teased.

Rey threw a playful hit on his chest before letting her head rest on it. “No. I wouldn’t do that.”

“Some night huh?” he sighed and began to gently stroke her hair.

“Yeah, unbelievable. I didn’t want it to end.”

“I know what you mean,” he agreed. “It was like you said, a different world. No stress, no problems. The whole night was fun. And between the two of us we have twenty-thousand dollars, halfway to paying off Phasma. So we get to do it again tonight.”

Though it was a lot of money, Finn thought Rey would share his confidence. To his surprise, her response was silence.

“You’re good with that right?” he asked. “We still gotta get the extra money for Phasma and Plutt like we talked about. Remember?”

Her hair left his hands as Rey sat up off his chest and looked away. “Yeah I remember.”

“Rey what’s the matter?” Finn asked.

Another pause went by, causing Finn to be more concerned, until Rey lay back down and hug his body softly.

“Finn you trust me right?” she asked seriously.

Now he was worried.

“I mean I know it’s still early for us,” Rey continued. “But you should know by now I got your back right? We saved each other's lives this weekend. People don’t just do that, that’s why I trust you. Do you trust me?”

Finn sat up slowly bringing her with him. He gently took hold of her shoulders, enhancing the eye contact. “Yes, but Rey, you have to tell me what’s going on.”

Rey hesitated before speaking. “He wants to see you.”

“Who?”

“Detective Skywalker”

“What?!” Finn jumped out of the bed. He couldn’t believe what he just heard from her.

Rey got out the bed just as quick trying to calm his shock. “Let me explain.”

“Wait, wait,” he shook his head trying to get a grasp on things. “You know Skywalker? The detective that’s after Phasma and busted the group I was with at Jakku?”

“Yes,” Rey nodded slowly, “I just talked to him on the phone.”

That last statement sent flashbacks through Finn’s mind. He suddenly could recall the multiple times he had seen Rey using her phone and stepping out of the room. He didn’t think much of it at the time, here was no way he could have predicted she was talking to the same Detective Skywalker that he had been taught to avoid at all cost. But why?

“Rey,” Finn rubbed his forehead, feeling his brain pulse. “Do you work with him?”

“No, no it’s not like that!” Rey assured. “I just went to him for help with Plutt.”

Finn’s eyes narrowed, “Why?”

“He’s kind of, my dad.”

“Dad? What the hell Rey!” Finn shouted.

“Finn...”

He ignored her and paced over to the desk in the middle of the room. He couldn’t bring himself to sit, yet he felt like he was going to collapse the way mind was running a hundred miles and hour. He threw his hands to his head in an attempt to somehow contain all the bad scenarios he saw playing out.

“So I’m going to be arrested?” he asked, feeling as though he knew the answer.

“No!” Rey ran up to him.

“You set me up!” he accused.

Rey pulled on his shirt desperately. She actually looked as if she was more upset than he was.

“Just listen!” she pleaded. “It’s not what you think. You said you trust me so please let me explain.”

Finn looked into her eyes. Tears were threatening to fall from them, yet they remained focus on the goal of capturing his trust again if only for a moment.

Even as their frantic breathing settled, Rey’s eyes held the same form. Against his better judgement, Finn nodded for her to continue.

Rey released her grip and took a small step back. “I live with my mom and I don’t get to see my dad much these days. But I needed money and I wasn’t sure how things were gonna go with Plutt. So when I got to the casino, I called him at the last minute for help. By the time he got there I already met with Plutt’s goons and survived, thanks to you.”

Finn calmed a bit. Rey had just confessed some honesty and background about her that he had been looking for. Still, this news was shocking and he needed to know more about the detective.

“I didn’t know what was going on when you pulled me out of the casino,” Rey continued. “All I had to go off of was what you told me. It was crazy but, I believed you. So when my dad asked where I was, I told him I ran into a friend, and we left together. ”

Some of it made sense, but some of it still didn’t.

“You just said Detective Skywalker wants to speak with me,” Finn said. “That means he knows who I am.”

Rey bit her lip and rubbed her arm, delaying a response. Finn knew the answer, but had to hear it.

“I decided to call him this morning,” she said. “I had to. We’re in over our heads, Finn. Phasma’s dangerous, even if you can pay her the forty-thousand dollars tonight.”

“But you still told him about me,” Finn said angrily, “Why didn’t you tell me he was your dad all this time?”

“Because I didn’t know what you would do!” Rey yelled. “I thought you wouldn’t trust me. But she’s dangerous, Finn. You know that. You can’t reason with her, and you definitely can’t play her game.”

Finn backed up and leaned against the wall. He didn’t have the energy to argue, he was getting more emotionally drained by the second.

 _That’s the problem,_ Finn thought, _Emotion._

He let his head rest on the wall, recalling his decisions from last night. Riding on the momentum of his wins, gambling more than he needed to, doubling the deal with Phasma, talking down to her on the phone while she’s trying to kill him. All of these were emotional decisions, not logical ones. He should’ve known better, he did know better. It wasn’t like him, but that’s what gambling does to people. It makes them want to risk it all.

“You were right about Phasma. She’s living off more than just casino cash.”

That caught Finn’s attention. He always knew Phasma was doing something shady behind the scenes, but could never prove anything. He nodded again to let Rey know was willing to hear more. He felt that she was beginning to relax when she pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down.

“When I talked to my dad a moment ago, all I told him was that she was dangerous and coming after you. But he figured out I was talking about you because of those guys in your group from the other night.”

Finn wasn’t surprised. One, if not all three of his former crew had snitched on the whole First Order. Finn was sure they made him sound guiltier than he actually was.

“Like you said, my dad has been investigating Phasma for years,” Rey continued, “And when he showed up at the casino the other night, security had alerted him of the card counters. Apparently, dad interrogated them. It turns out the reason he wants Phasma so much is that she’s been using the money to launder with narcotic transactions.”

“Drug money?” Finn asked in disbelief.

Rey nodded. “It was never proven, until now. Apparently someone in your group confirmed it.”

It was so much information to take in. The story was getting crazier by the second, and it was hard for Finn to keep his emotions in check. But then he remembered that’s why he got in this mess: too much emotion. He need to stay focused on the task and be logical.

“I’m a little surprised,” he said as calmly as he could under the duress, “But I always knew Phasma was doing something shady, and those guys are just as shady as her. I guess they would’ve been in on it,” he said more so to himself than Rey.

Rey hesitated again, looking as if she was torn on what she was about to say next. “He didn’t go into detail, but my dad said he needs more solid evidence of the illegal activity. The head of the operation itself.

“Phasma,” Finn stated.

Rey nodded and leaned back in the chair. “I didn’t plan on meeting you that night. And last night was one of the best in my life. I didn’t want it to end. But I knew I had to say something.”

“Right,” Finn said, hesitant to speak what was on his mind. “So this whole time you been with me to...”

“No!” Rey said quickly. “When you told me about Phasma, that was all new to me. I actually told myself that we could get out of that situation without my dad. Same thing I always tell myself,” she muttered the last part, but Finn caught it. “Still, like you said, we have to be logical.”

“Then why did you sleep with me?”

“Well I’m not the only one to blame for that! Who gave you permission to be so damn likable?”

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Finn couldn’t help but smile at that. Still, it was a serious topic. He sighed and took a seat at the foot of the bed in front of Rey.

She reached out and took ahold of Finn’s hand. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. Finn could feel her touch was genuine and saw that her eyes were true. Though he wanted to comment on it, he knew he had to stick to the topic. He used his free hand to rub neck and ponder.

“So what happens now?” Finn asked.

Rey sighed. “He wants to speak with you.”

“I’m going to jail,” Finn said.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“I’m not stupid, Rey. I’m caught in the middle of all this, and those guys your dad caught aren’t exactly loyal. Between them and Phasma pointing fingers at each other, there’s no way I don’t go down with them.”

He felt Rey grip his hand tighter. “You didn’t do anything illegal! And you were forced to work for Phasma with no knowledge of her involvement with drug dealing. Trust me Finn, I don’t get to see him much, but my dad is a good man. He’ll believe you.”

“With anything he reports, I’m gonna be looped in with Phasma’s scheme,” Finn couldn’t help but say.

“No,” Rey shook her head. “He won’t let that happen. I’ll make sure he doesn’t.”

Finn paused for a moment. He saw that Rey meant what she was saying, but it went against reason. If he was being honest with himself, it didn’t make much sense.

“Why risk yourself?” he asked.

“Because,” she began, “Sometimes emotion is better than logic.”

* * *

Finn walked back into the casino a lot earlier than he had planned to. It was an interesting sight to be in such an environment in the morning. Most of the scenery was the same, only the buffet was closed and there was no music. The bar was closed along with most of the tables. The only people around were some elderly folks at the slot machines, along with only two blackjack dealers at their empty tables looking bored with their unlucky shifts.

Finn didn’t know what he was looking for exactly. Rey told him that Detective Skywalker would be waiting for him inside. He still didn’t know if it was a good idea to come, however he knew that paying Phasma off wasn’t a guarantee for safety, knowing her. Phasma needed to be behind bars, and Finn was innocent. He was just gonna have to trust Rey as she asked.

Two tall men in suits walked up to him and flashed their badges, casino security. They gestured for Finn to follow them. Finn figured that Detective Skywalker must recognize him from the security cameras, it gave him an uncomfortable feeling.

He followed the large men feeling that it was too similar to the way Phasma had people summoned to her. He was escorted to a door which he entered alone. Beyond it was a small room with bare walls, one chair, a table, and man.

“You must be the infamous Finn?” the man said.

Finn didn’t like the sound of that.

“Detective Skywalker,” Finn figured.

He nodded, “I’ve heard a lot about you in the last twenty-four hours.”

Finn couldn’t bring himself to respond.

“Have a seat Finn,” he said turning his back to go over to the desk.

“Im good, thanks.”

The detective’s head shot back around, he looked surprised, perhaps insulted? “Please, I insist.”

Reluctantly, Finn complied. He walked over to the seat and hunched over it, taking a quick moment to wipe his hands on his pants before he took a seat.

Skywalker picked up some papers and looked them over.

“Undergraduate, solid 4.0 GPA, with only two semesters remaining...”

Finn’s nearly leaped out of his chair, “Is that my transcript?”

“Oh this? Yes, I hope you don’t mind, Finn. It’s just a very admirable list of credentials.”

“Why do they matter now?” Finn asked confused and concerned.

Skywalker shrugged before flipping the page. He grimaced at it. “It’s just a shame. Such a bright mind being limited by school debt. But that’s our so called flawless education system for you,” he said, as if he was thinking out loud.

Now he was bringing up Finn’s dilemma. Finn didn’t like where this was going, and he had a pretty good idea what was coming next.

“Life’s tough, son. You do what you gotta do to make it,” Luke said, strolling over behind Finn while keeping his eyes glued to the documents. “Which reminds me, I learned something interesting that’s not on your transcript. You’re name is well respected in gambling circles.”

Feeling Skywalker’s presence behind him, it took all Finn had to keep his posture straight in the chair. He was beginning to feel the sweat build back on his palms. “We’ve all got hobbies.”

Skywalker chuckled, “Yes, but not all hobbies can solve our problems, can they?” He dropped the papers in Finn’s lap. Finn didn’t even get a chance to look at them because his head jerked back up when Luke started to clap him on his shoulders.

“One of biggest American fantasies huh?” Skywalker continued. “Hit the casinos and make so much fast cash that you’ll never have to work again. Except people don’t realize how much work it actually is.” He kept his hand on Finn’s shoulder as he walked around and bent to meet at eye level. “When you’re counting.”

Finn gulped. He thought of a number of excuses and lies he could say, but what would be the point? Skwalker’s eyes were locked on his anticipating for a bluff. Finn kept his face straight, and decided no response was the least risky move since the odds of winning the situation was very much against him.

After a moment, Skywalker stood tall and back up a couple of steps, keeping his eyes on Finn. “Those buddies of yours from the other night,” he said, referring to Finn’s former First Order crew. “They had a lot to say.”

Finn shook his head slowly, ready to respond now with the truth. “Those are not my buddies.”

“Associates, classmates, whatever. You were with them. And you’re a counter for the First Order and Phasma.”

Finn didn’t know what to do. Should he lie? Or tell the truth? Neither one of them actually sounded believable. If he was honest with himself, being dishonest held better odds.

“I don’t...” Finn was about to lie to the detective when he remembered something.

 _Trust me,_ Finn recalled Rey’s words from earlier. It went against everything he was ever taught. Logic said that he would lose the situation if he didn’t lie. But for some reason, his damn emotions were overpowering his mind at the moment.

“I...I can count cards,” Finn confessed. “I don’t know anything about Phasma or those other guys. I just play blackjack. But, she’s dangerous. She’s who you want, not me.”

The detective stared him down, analyzing his words, face, and tone. Finn felt like Skywalker could make a killing at casinos himself, his face was unreadable. Until, it broke into a smile.

“Okay, we’re good in here!”

Finn turned to where Skywalker was calling out to. The door opened and Rey ran in and stood next to Finn.

“Is everything alright?” she asked him.

“Yes Rey, he checks out,” Skywalker said, before Finn could answer. “Alright kids, here’s what we’re going to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more Finnrey stories [checkout my Tumblr](https://classic-vision.tumblr.com)


	10. Losing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by [the-bi-writer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedapenname)

_Damn,_ Finn thought, leaning on the stall, trying to gather his thoughts.

Detective Skywalker had finished interrogating him moments ago. Once he said that he decided Finn was clean, Rey joined them in the room. Skywalker went on to explain his plan to arrest Phasma.

Recapping this, Finn had been on an emotional roller coaster. Just last night, he was the king of the casino. He had a great girl and a lot of money; it was fun. This morning had been the opposite. Detective Skywalker, the man who has been tracking Phasma and her organization, including Finn, turned out to be Rey’s father.

 _This is crazy,_ Finn thought, shaking his head.

After talking to them both, Finn excused himself to go to the restroom, but he really just wanted to get his head straight on his next move.

Phasma was dangerous, he knew that, but he also knew that her motivation was money. Paying her off might actually work, but it might not. He trusted Rey, but her father was a different story. Finn didn’t anything about the Detective, but he sure seemed to know plenty about Finn. Being interrogated gave him a scary feeling. Finn knew he was clean and Rey agreed, but did Detective Skywalker truly believe that? Now that Finn knew Phasma was involved with drug dealing, there was a chance anyone associated with her would go down with her.

 _Shit!,_ Finn banged his fist against the stall door.

Finally, he took a deep breath. He had to decide was would be the most logical decision with the most probable outcome. However, it was tough to keep emotion out of this decision.

Finn pulled out his phone and stared at it for a moment. With a heavy sigh, he dialed. As the phone rang, he looked around for probably the fourth time to make sure he was alone in the lobby casino restroom. He looked through each stall, confirming their emptiness, and saw that the door was still locked so no one could come in and interrupt his call.

The ringing stopped, but he didn’t hear his name as he expected In fact, he didn’t hear anything at all. However, he felt something, the silence. A silence so shrewd that only one person person could produce it.

“Phasma,” Finn said into the phone.

His guess was rewarded with the sound of breathing, the kind of breathing that came from the mouth shut and nose flaring, the sound of built frustration that was near boiling point.

“What?” Phasma finally said.

Finn recalled the last conversation they had; she couldn’t be pleased to be talking to him. He was on an adrenaline rush from winning at the casino that he talked down to Phasma. He imagined it was probably the first time ever that someone dared to do so. Still, now wasn’t the time to backtrack.

“There’s a slight change of plans,” he said, beginning to pace the restroom.

“Do you have my money?” Phasma asked.

“Not yet. I will tonight.”

“Then the deal remains. Deliver it at my headquarters before midnight.”

“Can’t do that,” Finn said quickly, “We got a problem.”

He swore that he could feel Phasma’s frustration growing through her response, “What are you talking about?”

“Skywalker. He knows.”

“He knows what?” Phasma asked, her voice actually rising.

“He knows enough. Your headquarters are compromised.”

“You did this!” she shouted.

Finn nearly dropped the phone. He never heard Phasma be so loud. Her normal monotone self was creepy because it constantly made him feel like something could happen, but with her reaction now he was thinking that she was ready to actually act on her constant threats.

“No,” he said, staying focused. “You can blame those amateurs you stuck me with the other night. They ratted me out too!”

Finn didn’t get a response right away. Instead, he heard frustrated breaths, increasing the static of the phone line through his ear. He hoped Phasma was processing the information, and not contemplating his murder.

“How do you know this?” she asked.

“They found me,” Finn said. “I’m only free for a few hours, to help catch you.”

“You dirty ra-”

“You think I’m stupid!” he cut her off. “The moment they get you, I’m going down too. That’s why I’m leaving town!”

This time Finn had to catch his own breath. The mixed emotions running through him were forcing a thousand different thoughts in his head at the same time. He still wasn’t sure if this was the best decision, but he had to do something.

“Then why are you calling?” Phasma asked more calmly, seemingly now more curious than mad.

Finn sighed. He stopped pacing and leaned back against the wall. “Because, I wanna be done with you. I don’t want your goons coming after me one day.”

Phasma scoffed, “After all of this, you think it’s that easy.”

“Well, here’s the deal. I told Skywalker about the midnight deadline. He’s giving me time make the cash and meet him at your headquarters to look authentic. Once you accept the cash, he’ll catch you in the act and we both get put in jail.”

“And that’s not going to happen?” Phasma asked, now sounding amused.

“No. Skywalker and his team will be scouting your territory. But he still left me with time alone at the casino. Meet me at Jakku and I’ll give you the forty-thousand dollars. Take it and go where ever, I don’t care.”

“You expect me to trust you?”

Finn dipped his head back on the wall. He looked up at the blank ceiling, and that’s how he felt, blank, tired, drained. “I don’t know. Either you do or you don’t,” he shook his head. “I want my life back to normal. Either you’re in or you're out, but this is my plan and I’m going through with it.”

The conversation paused. Finn knew by now that meant Phasma was considering his offer. The only problem was, her pauses had a way of making him feel like he had no hope.

“Thirty minutes to midnight,” she said before the line went dead.

* * *

 

After gathering his thoughts, Finn walked back out to the casino lobby. He was surprised to see Rey and Detective Skywalker waiting for him. Rey was leaning against the wall on the right, playing with her phone, Skywalker was leaning against the wall on the left doing the same, the silence between the two was noticeable.

“Finn,” Rey said, being the first to notice him.

She walked over to his side but before he could speak, Detective Skywalker spoke up.

“Are you still good with what we discussed Finn?”

Finn nodded, “Yes.”

“Great. Then I’ll gather my team. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you later,” Finn said.

Finn watched Skywalker walk out the door, his head still spinning from everything that was going on. He was pulled from his thoughts when Rey tugged on his sleeve.

“Hey,” she said, “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Finn said plainly.

Rey looked at him for a moment. “You’re sure?”

Finn nodded, “Yeah.”

“Okay. Then Phasma will be arrested and all this will be over. Right?”

“Yeah,” he said again.

Finn pulled Rey into a hug and held her tight, savoring the moment. A moment he wasn’t so sure would happen again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?


	11. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by [the-bi-writer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedapenname)

The day went by too fast for Finn’s liking, and he spent most of it in a fog. Gambling was supposed be risky pleasure, and that was how his life had been the past couple days. He went from playing blackjack for Phasma, to running for his life with Rey. Next thing he knew, he made a deal with Detective Skywalker to set Phasma up for arrest, and then called Phasma to renege on the deal. It was all a gamble, but no matter what, Finn needed to win the additional twenty-thousand dollars to make the total forty-thousand for Phasma before the end of the night.

As Finn walked into Jakku Casino that night, his eyes popped. It was crowded for a Sunday night. As usual, everyone was dressed up in suits, dresses, jewelry, and too much money to spend. Finn envied the crowd. They were all in bliss, but he was in fear.

He walked through the casino with all of the slot machines ringing louder than ever in his ears. His vision was slightly blurry and fear ran through him yet, he walked with confidence. He had to be careful not to concern Rey, who walked next to him, looking as if she was just as intimidated by the night as he was.

Finn and Rey sat down at an empty blackjack table. The dealer said he would return shortly with his deck of cards. Finn could hardly focus, but he knew he had to get his head in the game. In just few hours, he would be free from Phasma and Skywalker, if all went well.

“So what’s school like?” Rey said, bringing Finn out of his thoughts abruptly.

They hadn’t said much to each other since her dad came into the picture. Rey had asked Finn a few times if he was alright, to which he would just say yes.

“I’ve always wondered how it would’ve been if I went to college,” Rey finished.

Finn thought for a moment before answering. He had almost forgot about his normal life before this hectic weekend began. “It can be fun with the lifestyle. But it can be stressful if you slack on the work.”

“You’re a math major right?” Rey asked, “What are you planning to do after you graduate?”

The question hit him hard, as it did most students. Finn looked down at the blackjack table. He looked at the engraved game instructions he memorized years ago. In this game, he knew everything that would happen. But his actual future? Those odds weren’t as predictable.

“I don’t know yet.” Finn sighed, “The good thing is, I have options. I got a lot of interest from some old internships, as long as I get my degree. That’s the thing though, no matter how good you are, these corporations won’t hire you unless you’re ‘certified’,” Finn quoted with his fingers.

Rey laughed, “Tell me about it. I can fix practically anything but no company will hire me without a license.”

Finn nodded. Rey mentioned before that Rey would fix cars and house appliances for people, but he figured that was hobby.

“You know,” he turned to her, “They have trade schools that you get a license for various things.”

Rey propped her elbow on the table to rest her head in her hand. “Yeah but schools cost money. Which I don’t have because I don’t have a license.” She rolled her eyes.

Finn couldn’t help but chuckle, “It’s funny. The way the system works is you need money in order to make money.”

Rey leaned back in her chair and laughed. “It’s stupid.”

When his laughter died down, Finn glanced up to see the rest of the people in the casino. It was crowded throughout the whole building, yet him and Rey were alone at their own table, their own world.

“So here we are,” he said.

“So here we are,” she repeated.

Finn grinned, “Think you’re ready?”

Rey cracked her knuckles.

“Let’s play.”

* * *

 

_10, 2_

Finn wasn’t happy with his cards, even less happy when he looked up.

Dealer’s face up card is a Queen.

Finn looked back his cards, and then back to the dealer’s. Everyone at the table watched him in anticipation.

_Hit_

_10, 2, 10_

_Twenty-two, bust._

“Damn,” Finn watched the dealer scoop more of his chips away. He scratched his forehead, frustrated.

He was about to ante in, when a loud sigh caught his attention. He looked to his left to see Rey lean back in her seat with her hands stuffed into her pockets.

 _Cold deck,_ Finn thought, reading Rey’s signal. _She’s right. I should’ve realized by now._

Finn collected his chips and followed Rey to another table.

“You good?” Rey asked, as they watched over the players at the new table.

“Yeah, yeah. No worries,” Finn said.

The truth was, his head wasn’t in the game. With every hand Finn played so far, his mind kept drifting back to Skywalker and Phasma. He checked his watch for probably the tenth time that night. He still had two hours before Phama would arrive at the casino. Finn knew he had to focus, he had already lost multiple hands, and didn’t have time to waste.

“You got the count?” Rey asked.

“Huh?”

“Is the count good?” she whispered so the table ahead of them wouldn’t hear. “Should we play at this table?”

Finn looked back at the table, watching the cards being played. He did the calculations in his head as fast as ever before nodding to Rey.

“Yeah. This is good.”

They sat down at the table and anted in with their chips. Hoping Rey wasn’t looking, Finn wiped his palms on his pants before the cards came out.

_3, 7_

_Good_ , Finn thought, seeing his cards.

_Dealer’s face up card is a 4._

Finn silently cheered, knowing the advantage was his.

_Hit_

_3, 7, 6. Sixteen._

_Stay_

Finn wasn’t entirely happy with his turn out, but the he still had the advantage.

_The dealer flipped over his face down card. 4, 8_

_Come on_ , Finn thought.

The dealer drew a new card

_4, 8, 5_

_Seventeen, dealer wins._

Finn sat stunned. He watched the dealer scoop away even more of his chips.

Rey gave him a worried look. Finn just nodded, trying to keep her calm. The count was still good and the odds were in their favor. It doesn’t mean they’ll win every hand but still, Finn needed to start winning already.

He anted in his new chips and the dealer passed out the cards.

_Ace, Ace_

Some people might like this hand, but in Finn’s current situation it wasn’t the best to have. It meant had to split his cards and bet twice the money, and he was currently on a losing streak.

Finn took a deep breath. The odds were still in his favor, but his emotions were telling him it was hopeless.

_Split_

Finn doubled up his money and the dealer separated his cards. Now one new card would be drawn for each Ace. Whatever those cards were Finn would be stuck with, so he needed them to be good.

The dealer drew the first card slowly, and the second one even slower.

Finn tapped his fingers on the table, the anticipation was killing him and the dealer knew it. All eyes were on Finn, his chips, and most importantly, his large amount of money up for gamble.

_Ace, Jack_

_Ace, Jack_

_Double blackjack. Automatic win._

“Yeah!” Rey cheered.

“Woo!” Finn threw his hands up, almost most shocked out this comeback.

All the other players congratulated Finn and the dealer pushed a large stack of new chips his way.

It felt good. It felt good to win again.

With his confidence back, Finn increased his bet for the next round. The smile wouldn’t leave his face. He was having fun again and ready to win more money.

Only problem was, the money wasn’t for him, it was for his life. And he was running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It all goes down next time. But is Finn ready? Where do you think his head is at?
> 
> Stay tuned


	12. Luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the Final Chapter!
> 
> Big thanks to my Beta [the-bi-writer](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedapenname) Thanks for all your help throughout this long process. It's been fun.
> 
> Thanks to all for reading. Always good to hear your feedback and enjoyment of the story.
> 
> [Cover Art](https://classic-vision.tumblr.com/post/165524177334/the-bi-writer-no-risk-no-reward-a-finnrey)

“Blackjack!”

Finn pumped his fist in victory. He just won another hand and another stack of chips.

“You’re on a roll,” Rey said.

For a while the table was full. But since Finn had started winning so many hands, the other players had given up and stopped playing. They found it more entertaining to watch Finn rack up win after win. There was now a small crowd around the table cheering him on.

“Guess it’s just one of my lucky days, you know?” Finn rolled the chips in between his fingers.

“I just hope it doesn’t run out,” Rey said, rubbing the back of her neck.

_The deck is hot,_ Finn thought, reading Rey’s signal. _It’s time to play big._

Finn pushed several chips forward to ante up. The dealer actually raised an eyebrow at him; even he wasn’t used to seeing such high bets.

“Hey it’s gambling right?” Finn shrugged at the dealer. “Let’s have some fun.”

The dealer nodded and shuffled the deck. While they waited, Finn smiled at Rey who beamed back at him.

_Almost there to the forty-thousand dollars,_ Finn thought.

Finn tore his eyes away from Rey when a man in a cowboy hat sit down at the table, taking the empty seat to Finn’s right. He was older, gray hair beneath his hat showed it. On top of that his clothing consisted of a semi open gray button down shirt tucked into his brown slacks. However, it was hard to get a look at his face underneath the dark black sunglasses.

“How are you tonight sir?” Finn asked politely.

The man didn’t respond. He just gave Finn a nod, keeping his focus on the newly shuffled deck before them.

Finn’s attention shifted once the dealer passed out the cards.

_King, Queen_

Twenty

_Stay_

Win.

Finn received his new stack of chips, but only after the man next to him received his chips first. He had won as well.

The game went on a few more rounds. Win after win, Finn racked up more and more chips, with a large pile now gained.

“Almost there,” Rey whispered to Finn, nudging him with her elbow.

Finn returned her smile. He liked seeing her in such joy. He only wished it were under better circumstance, where tonight would just about them and not life or death. Still, she was right. Finn was almost at forty-thousand dollars, with an hour left to spare.

_Ace, 2_

_Hit_

_Ace, 2, 8_

Twenty-one. Automatic win.

Finn was getting excited. It really was almost over.

He glanced over to his right to see that the man with the sunglasses had won again. If fact, he been winning just as much as Finn had.

“Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.”

The voice was like shot to Finn’s ears. He felt his heart stop, and his breath disappear. The voice from behind was unmistakable.

“Good hit,” Phasma said.

Finn didn’t even have to turn around; her tall stature gave off a shadow over the table as she stood behind him.

“You’re hot. I’d play big if I were you.”

Finn was frozen. Phasma wasn’t supposed to meet him for another hour.

“What’s the matter?” Phasma put her hands on Rey’s shoulders. “You should all keep playing,”

Finn was ready to jump out of his chair to help Rey, but as soon as he shifted, Phasma tighten her grip.

“Finn,” Rey nearly shouted, “It’s alright. Just keep playing.”

Against his will, Finn turned back to the table. His heart was working again, and working overtime. The crowd that was previously cheering him on had now dispersed, and his excitement vanished. Now he wasn’t sure what was going on. He figured either Phasma didn’t trust him, or she decided to show up early just to taunt him. It was sickening how she fed off fear.

_7, 7_

Finn’s vision was starting to blur again. He didn’t like how Phasma snuck up on him, he didn’t like being threatened, and most of all he hated Phasma’s hands on Rey. But he need to focus. The only thing he could do now was keep playing.

The dealer’s face up card was also a 7.

_Hit_

_7, 7, 6_

Twenty

_Stay_

“That was risky,” Phasma taunted.

Finn shook his head, trying to remain focused as the dealer flipped over his face down card to show 10. Dealer had seventeen versus Finn’s twenty.

Win.

“You’re good,” Phasma said, monotone as ever.

Finally, she took her hands off of Rey’s shoulders, and put them on Finn’s.

“Mind if I join the table?” she asked. “I don’t want to ruin your momentum.”

Finn mentally cursed. He was stuck. He couldn’t call Phasma out or else they be busted.

“It’s fine,” he muttered.

“Sir,” Phasma said to the man with the sunglasses. “Your chair.”

It wasn’t request; it was a demand. And apparently the man understood that he was in danger because he gathered his chips and left the table without a word.

Finn watched the man walk off until Phasma came into his view, sitting in the chair next to him.

“Actually,” she began, “I think I’ll just watch the show. Keep playing.”

Finn clinched the chips in his hands. He didn’t have much of a choice. Even the dealer seemed to be shaken as he hesitantly passed out the new cards.

_8, 8_

“I’d split them,” Phasma said. “But, you’re the winner. Do what you feel is best.”

Finn was beginning to feel sweat building on his forehead. He knew there was no way that Phasma showed up alone. She likely had people with her, watching from the distance. He and Rey were in trouble. The only thing keeping them alive was the fact that they were in a crowded place with several witnesses. But, would that stop Phasma?

Finn was about to make his move when he heard a soft cracking sound. He looked over to see Rey rubbing her thumb over her knuckles. That was the signal.

_We have to get out now._

He looked back at the cards, knowing the Phasma didn’t like to wait.

_Split_

_8, 9_

_8, Jack_

Seventeen and eighteen. Double win.

His eyes widened. He did it. He won all forty-thousand dollars worth of chips.

“You see Finn,” Phasma said, “As long as everybody gets paid, nobody gets hurt. Except for of course, certain circumstances.”

The sound of a zipper tore Finn’s eyes away from the murderous threat. On his other side, Rey scooped the chips into her backpack.

“What is she doing?” Phasma said, voice rising.

Finn breathed through his nose, gathering his wits. “I’m in charge now Phasma.”

“Wh-”

Before she finished speaking, Finn shoved Phasma out of her seat onto the ground.

“Run!”

Finn and Rey knocked over their chairs as they dashed off.

* * *

Finn and Rey ran through the middle of the casino with people jumping out of their way. There were some screams from the crowd when two large men started to shove people down, making their way towards Finn and Rey. Finn grabbed Rey’s hand and pulled her the other direction.

Finn ran as fast as he ever had in his life, keeping his grip tight on Rey’s hand. He pulled her down the hall in the back of the casino, leaving the chaos behind them. They turned around a sharp corner and burst through the door.

There they stood, alone in the back alley behind the casino, doubled over and tried to catch their breaths. Detective Skywalker wasn’t supposed to meet them for another hour, but Phasma had shown up early and thrown everything off. Now all they could do was hope they wouldn’t be found.

“Finn.”

Busted.

He breathed some more, trying to get his composure back. After rubbing his hands on his knees, Finn stood up and turned to see the living nightmare herself.

Phasma stood as tall as her two goons behind her. She was powerful. Just standing there, tall, blank faced, monotone. Scary.

“I knew I couldn’t trust you,” she said, “Perhaps you aren’t so smart after all. You left things up to chance. But I didn’t like the odds.”

She walked forward, slowly.

Finn moved to stand in front of Rey to protect her. As soon as he did, Phasma’s goons each pulled out a gun.

“In this game, I make my own luck,” Phasma said.

“No,” Finn shook his hand frantically. “No, no. I won this money, it’s mine. I need it more than you.”

He knew Phasma didn’t care, despite her blank face. Only someone who had been threatened by her several times like Finn could tell she was frustrated.

“Give me the chips, Finn.”

Rey held onto Finn’s arm. He reached behind him and took the bag from her.

So many images were in Finn’s head. School, Kanata’s, and Rey. All of the odds were against him, but his emotions wouldn’t allow him to quit.

“Come get it,” Finn said.

Phasma towered over him. “Your luck has finally run out.”

“Freeze!”

The door burst open and multiple police officers tackled the goons into the ground. The remaining officers held their guns up and told Phasma to step away from Finn and Rey.

Looking shocked, Phasma put her hands up. One of the officers came up and handcuffed Phasma behind her back.

“I been waiting a long time to see this.”

Finn looked up to see the man who arrived in the knick of time.

“Dad,” Rey whispered to Finn, “He made it.”

Finn pulled Rey into a tight hug. They pulled away and smiled at each other. They had survived.

Before she was pulled away, Finn had something to say to Phasma.

“The odds are always in my favor,” he said while she was being handcuffed. “In this game, I make my own luck.”

Phasma had nothing to say, she turned away and was guided to the door along with her goons. Finn let out a large breath of relief. He had won.

Rey ran up and hugged Detective Skywalker.

“I’m glad you’re safe, dear,” the detective said to Rey, “It was a good thing I made it in time.”

“Yeah it was,” Rey said, “But you weren’t supposed to show up here for another hour. How did you know Phasma was already here?”

“No thanks needed.”

The man from the table with the dark sunglasses walked through the door. He removed his glasses and hat to reveal himself.

“Uncle Han?” Rey said, surprised.

Han Solo walked over and hugged his niece. “Hey, somebody’s gotta look after you.”

“Yes, and it’s a good thing you called me when you did,” Detective Skywalker said to Han, “I didn’t even know you were aware of Phasma. I thought your gambling days were behind you Han?”

“Yeah well these days I only train the youngins.” Han walked up to Finn.

Finn couldn’t hide his grin as he bumped fists with Han. “Glad he called you.”

“Me too kid,” Han chuckled. “So Rey told ya I was family huh? After you brought her by Kanata’s, I figured she'd be smart enough to call her old man for some help.”

Rey scoffed, but playfully shoved her uncle.

“Yeah and after everything that’s happened, I’m actually not that surprised,” Finn laughed.

Finn could tell Rey wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t see her father, Detective Skywalker, much. It was easy to see the distance between them. However, they were family, and it was nice to see how happy they all were at the moment.

“We went over the plan with Detective Skywalker and your name came up. It was actually last minute decision,” Finn admitted. “I figured we could use a wildcard.”

“That’s an understatement,” Rey laughed.

“Well I hate to break this up but those tables are calling my name,” Han made his way to the door.

Detective Skywalker grabbed his arm, “Han...”

“Come on Luke,” Han pleaded, “It’s been years. One night?”

The detective smiled, “See you Christmas?”

“See you Christmas,” Han said, before walking back into the casino.

It wasn’t your typical family, but Finn kind of liked it. Rey’s family was like gambling, risky, but fun. He’d be lying if say he regretted meeting Rey. Since the moment they met, Finn’s life was crazy but he like the results.

Finn pulled Rey into another hug, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I’m glad you’re safe too,” Rey said, “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Or me.”

Finn released his hug and turned towards Detective Skywalker.

“I hope you learned a lesson from this Finn,” Detective Skywalker began, “We all need money. But you’re gonna figure out how to get that and everything else you want in this life. Because you’re smart. Both of you are.”

“Thank you,” Finn said.

The detective nodded and looked at his daughter. Rey smiled.

“Thanks dad. Maybe I’ll see you before Christmas?”

Finn saw the joy in Rey’s eyes when she asked her dad that question. He also saw hope for his agreement. He looked back up at the detective who grew a smile of his own.

“The Phasma case is done, so that should free up some of the schedule. I’m gonna take care of that Plutt problem of yours now,” Detective Skywalker said. “So how about next weekend?”

Rey beamed, “I’d like that.”

* * *

One of the principles of gambling is to use logic over emotion. But there comes a time when even logic will fail and all you have to go off are your instincts. Finn was an academic scholar, a statistical genius, but despite what society preached, that wasn’t enough to win at life.

In one weekend, Finn went from another broke college kid to high roller. He outsmarted some thugs at their own game, he beat the system of the casino, and as he walked out into the parking lot, he held the hand of the most exciting girl he’d ever met, and their pockets were full of cash.

He had the rush of his life and was on was finally able to pay for his final year of college. He won the game.

“So I didn’t scare you off?” Rey asked.

Finn laughed, “I thought I would have scared **you** off with all of this.”

“Eh, Phasma is nothing. But my family is wild.”

“That reminds me,” Finn said as they walked up to the car, “I don’t know if a detective’s daughter should be hot wiring cars.”

Rey shrugged while getting in. “Our lives were at stake, I had to do something. No risk, no reward.”

Finn laughed again as he got in the driver’s seat. “You know, I think you might be more like your uncle than your dad.”

“Don’t make me use my red belt skills on you,” Rey teased.

Finn put his hands up in defense. “Alright, so where to now?” e asked, gripping the steering wheel, staring into the night sky before them.

“Well,” Rey said. “The night is still young. And Coruscant casino isn’t closing anytime soon.”

Finn couldn’t help but grin, getting her hint. He leaned his head back against the headrest before shifting toward her. “Really?”

Rey shifted her whole body toward him. “Finn you got what you need for school. Now what do you want? Whatever it is, you have the cards. You always do.”

“You’re the craziest person I’ve ever met,” Finn said, reaching out caress her cheek. “But I like you.”

“So what do you say?” Rey asked.

Finn saw her beaming face and looked over to the casino behind her. The memorizing bright lights were as enticing as Rey’s smile. And there it was again

Temptation.

“Let’s play.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gamble responsibly y'all
> 
> Later!


End file.
